Two Steps Back
by Five seas
Summary: Ren's strange behavior causes Kyoko to re-examine some things about their relationship, and her own goals. A call from the Fuwa family gives her a chance to distance herself a bit from him, and she takes it. Set directly after chapter 188.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat! **

**Story takes place directly after the end of chapter 188.**

* * *

It started with a call.

The number was unscreened, and Kyoko's first instinct is to ignore it. The last one she picked up, after all, was from that idiot Shotarou, and she had no interest of bringing her mood down further. She still had to study for that exam they had, and then run to Daruma-ya to take the evening shift – there was just no time to be angry at that idiot.

But then she took a closer look at it, and saw that it wasn't even from the Tokyo area. In fact… the ID code was from Kyoto.

She hesitated, then redialed.

All of this took less than a minute. She was in school, loitering after the classes let out in the hope of catching the math teacher and asking him about the lessons the test would cover. She had no idea of knowing that not one, not two, but three men were waiting for her to come out.

* * *

Yashiro Yukihito threw his charge a worried look as Ren took the third wrong turn in the day, bringing them near the school. They still had an hour until they had to be anywhere, but there was just so many diversions that he could chalk up on oversight.

"I'm really sorry, Yashiro-san," Ren said. "I have no idea what's gotten in me today."

_Oh, but I do, _Yashiro thought, _you're hoping that you would catch sight of Kyoko-chan as she leaves, so you would greet her. _

Then, of course, Kyoko-chan would be Kyoko-chan, which is to say, incredibly formal, and they would banter a bit while Ren blocks the other cars. In the end, he would suggest giving her a lift to wherever she needs to go, since it would _just so happen _to be right in our direction, and Ren would have enough time to grill her about that email she sent Kijima.

It was odd, Yashiro thought, that his charge would be so transparent about some things and yet hide others so well.

"I wonder, shouldn't Kyoko-chan's school be letting out right now?" he supplied. "I see students come out right now…"

"Yes, aren't they?" Ren said, brightening, like he hadn't been mulling over the same thing all day.

"Picking her up from school… you two really are getting all lovey-dovey lately," Yashiro said, more out of obligation than belief. In reality, Ren's mood had been absolutely foul since lunch and his manager wasn't sure that he ought to go anywhere near Kyoko when he was in such a state, but saying that would not do. Yashiro and Ren's professional relationship operated on the assumption that Ren was good at hiding his problems, and that his manager was stupid enough not to see right through him.

Even now, his client didn't miss a beat in giving his own patented line.

"Please don't say such things, Yashiro-san," Ren said. "If others heard you, they'd think…"

But Yashiro didn't get to hear what others might think, because they had reached the front of the building, and just in time to see a furious Kyoko charge out. Ren immediately slowed and lowered his window, but she didn't seem to notice him. She was focused on the gates, and the person standing there, looking at her.

Later, when he learned the full details, Yashiro would think about how it was all a matter of really bad timing. If Ren had been driving slower, or Kyoko – faster, they would have missed each other completely and what followed might have been diverted.

But Kyoko had been held back in school, and when she left, there was the extra roadblock of Fuwa Sho to overcome.

Though she didn't see it as a roadblock.

Sho, who had been looking out especially for her, extracted himself from the grasp of Mimori and turned to the furious redhead. "Well, well. Long time, no see."

Kyoko didn't note his peculiar tone, or, if she did, she completely ignored it. Her phone was in her hand, still open, and she was shaking with the effort to suppress her furies.

"You idiot," she said, without preamble. "I've got half a mind to slap you silly."

Sho blinked, taken aback. He'd come specifically to rile her up, but hadn't expected that she would already be angry. He only hesitated for a moment.

"Oh? That's a bit of a revelation. I thought you already had just half a mind."

Mimori opened her mouth to swoon, but then she noticed the look on Kyoko's face. Then she saw the one on Sho's. The air between the two seemed like it was supercharged, and if lightning had struck from the clear sky, she wouldn't have been surprised.

"I'll… just leave you two alone," she muttered, feeling the familiar fights starting to brew.

Ren didn't. He couldn't stop the car, so he was forced to pass the two before Kyoko even opened her mouth, and take a loop around the school, looking for a parking space.

And there were none.

Meanwhile, Kyoko and Sho were just getting started.

"Are you calling _me _stupid? You really have some nerve, coming here to insult me," Kyoko was saying.

"I call them how I see them. You should be thankful I'm not calling you worse." Sho looked at her up and down. "Well, this is unexpected. I thought if you let others dress you up, you'd at least learn how to do your own hair like you ought."

Kyoko panicked. Others dress her up? Did he find out somehow about the Cain-and-Setsu gig? But Tsuruga-san had only bought her clothes once – how could he know? Then she remembered why she had been pissed off to begin with.

"Image is more of your thing, isn't it? You're so focused on looking cool that you completely disregard those that were supposed to be dear to you."

"Oh, that's rich. Stop acting already – we all know about your new boyfriend, so you don't have to play hurt anymore."

That completely threw her off the loop. "What?"

"Come on! Why play dumb? You landed the great actor Kijima as a boyfriend, after all. You should be gloating freely."

"What are you talking about? Kijima-san isn't my boyfriend." She was more confused now than angry. Little by little, she got more aware of her surroundings, and tried to keep her tone in check. "If you're referring to the Dark Moon party, that was because he wanted to do something nice on a whim. It had nothing to do with me."

"Right. And if you believe that, I have a really nice tower I'd like to sell you," Sho snapped. "Men don't just buy you dresses and makeovers for nothing. That guy will expect payment, one way or another."

Kyoko felt her cheeks burn up with anger and shame. That was the second time someone said something like that to her, and if the idea that Tsuruga Ren and Fuwa Sho shared an opinion on something wasn't strange enough, the fact that he had come all the way here to tell her this had her reeling.

"Even if Kijima-san was my boyfriend, which he is not, it would still not be any of your business," she said. "And no, you egocentric, I wasn't referring to what you did to me."

"Oh, really? And what, pray, have I done lately to piss you off?"

"How long has it been since you spoke to your parents?"

Sho froze.

"What?"

She flipped her phone open and showed him her contact list. The number right on top was as familiar to him as his own.

"Oh… they called you?" he asked.

"They couldn't get a hold of you," she said. "They wanted to hear your voice, but you'd stopped calling and they didn't know how to talk to you."

Sho pursed his lips. "They had no business calling you. You should have told them so."

"They practically raised me, Sho," she said. "I can't do that. Besides, there's nothing illegal about taking a phone call from your parents. Why don't you call them?"

"That's none of your business, and you have bigger things to worry about," he said. "If you're not careful, people will start to say things about you."

_Again with that, _she thought. It was exactly like the stuff Tsuruga-san had told her, about protecting her image and the image of LME. The only difference was that Sho wasn't her sempai, and she told him so.

"I might not be your sempai, but we grew up together," he said, lowering his voice several octaves, and forcing her to lean in to hear. "You're still my responsibility, even if you go off acting stupidly."

She stared at him, part in shock and part in disbelief. His responsibility? Really?

"You're a young, single girl. You have to pay attention to the company you're keeping," he said. "If you really want to knock me off where I stand, you better do that."

She fumed. "Don't give me advice on how to act. And stop calling me! I have better things to do that go through your obsessive voice messaging."

Before he could answer, she thrust a piece of paper with his parents' number on it. "Here! In case you lost it!" she said, turned on her heel, and started walking away.

* * *

Her exit would have been much more impressive, however, if she had managed to go down the street without bumping into Ren and Yashiro.

"Mogami-san, what a surprise," Ren said, flashing her a calm smile. "Are your classes over?"

"Yes," she said, after bowing quickly. "We just let out."

"I see. I hope your day was productive, you seemed in such a hurry to make it on time," Ren said. "Are you on your way somewhere? Yashiro-san and I were just stopping to pick something up – we can give you a lift."

Kyoko opened her mouth to say yes, but then she felt Sho's eyes boring into the back of her head. His words came back to her – that men don't do things for you unless they have an ulterior motive, and then she remembered how Tsuruga-san her said the same things. It wouldn't have bothered her, except for the fact that Sho had been less than delicate in his allegations. The way he put it, he made it look like she had sold herself for those clothes and make up.

"No, that's fine, Tsuruga-san," she said, bowing again. "I just needed to have a word with Fuwa-kun over there on a family matter – I'll be staying in the school for a little longer. We have a test coming up, and I really need to study."

"Oh," Ren said, barely covering up his disappointment. "Well, that's very conscious of you. Work hard, then."

"Thank you," she said, and hesitated. She felt like she had a thousand things she wanted to tell him, yet she had no way of saying them without sounding presumptuous. Ren, on his part, didn't want to leave her, not yet. It was left to Yashiro to point out they would be late if they didn't leave soon. The two took their hasty leaves.

Ren and Yashiro weren't halfway to the car, when Kyoko came running after them.

"Tsuruga-san…" She looked around quickly, then blurted out. "Um, something unexpected has come up. I… don't know if I'll be able to attend the… project at the scheduled time."

Yashiro needed less than a minute to decode the message. The project – the Cain and Setsu act.

Ren seemed confused.

"Something school-related?"

"Um… not quite."

"You seem very vague, Mogami-san. I'm afraid I don't understand."

"It's a… family matter. It doesn't affect me directly right now, but… it might. I just… I wanted to ask… would it be a problem if I'm gone for an extra day or two?"

Yashiro didn't know what happened, but Ren's mood darkened considerably. Even though the smile on his face remained, his eyes and tone were cold. "Why are you asking me that? It's the President who arranges those things – he is the only one to give you permission."

Yashiro balked. Although he had heard Ren use that tone on Kyoko before, he'd never seen him direct so much malice at her without softening it at least a bit. She felt it too – her whole body shrunk back, her shoulders hunched, as if she was trying to protect herself against a gale. Still, the manager had to admire her courage – she pressed on.

"But, um… the role I have relates to you directly," she said.

"It's not that important," Ren said. "If you have something important to do, Mogami-san, then do it. As for me, I don't need you to finish the project."

She clenched her fists, and nodded. "I understand. I'm sorry to have kept you for so long."

Then she bowed and ran off, presumably to school. For a moment, Yashiro just stared at her, dumbstruck, then turned to his charge to demand an explanation. But Ren had already turned on his heel and was walking towards the car in a brisk pace.

"Yashiro-san, you should hurry," he said. "If we don't leave now, we'll be late."

There was no arguing with that.

And in the end, Yashiro never got the chance to ask.


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, what a nice response! Thank you all - you guys sent me to my exam with a smile on my face. And I think it might have possibly gone well.**

**Anyway, here's a chapter to celebrate you guys being awesome!**

**I don't own Skip Beat. If I did, we'd be getting less full-page splashes and more story every month.**

* * *

"Kyoko-chan? Kyoko-chan, what are you doing there?"

Kyoko opened her eyes to find herself face to face with a Daruma doll. Her landlady was leaning over her, a concerned look on her face. She straightened up, and stared at the table. Textbooks and loose paper were scattered everywhere, and she had turned her exercise notebook into a pillow.

"I'm… sorry," she muttered, looking up. "I didn't want to bother you with keeping the light on, so I came here."

"Goodness, were you up late? I hope you got some sleep."

She hadn't, and they both knew it. Kyoko rubbed her hand over her face and tried to gather her thoughts.

"We have an exam coming up," she said. "I really needed to study for it."

"But your school is so flexible. Didn't you say they set exam times specifically for each student?" Okami-san said, and started gathering Kyoko's textbooks into a pile. "You've been working so hard lately, with all those projects. Surely they can give you a little break."

"Oh… umm…" The truth was, she could, but in order to do so, she would have to present a document stating which production she was helping out with, what her role was, with names and dates and everything – and the only people who knew she was Setsuka Heel were the President, Tsuruga-san and Jelly Woods. "It's better I get it out of the way as soon as possible," she said, at length.

To distract herself as well as her landlady, Kyoko quickly threw an apron on and started wiping the floor. For a while, Okami-san watched her work, and Kyoko worried that she might press the matter. Then she shrugged and went into the kitchen.

The girl heaved a sigh heavy enough to knock someone over, and tried to focus on her task. Unfortunately, there was only so much thought you could put into handling a mop, and her mind strayed.

Deep down, Kyoko knew that this wasn't good – she was falling back into old habits, and cramming had never really worked for her. She was certain she would fail horribly on the test if she didn't get a break, but…

If she did, she would have nothing to think about. And being idle was not a good thing, not right now.

She thought about talking to Sho's mother, after such a long time. She'd been surprised – she thought that Setsuie-sama wouldn't want to look at her again, after she was so ungrateful to her and her husband. Like every time she was reminded of a stupid thing for Sho's sake, Kyoko felt humiliated, and a little bit angry. They had seen the dogged devotion with which she had followed Sho around, and yet they hadn't thought about discouraging it, not once. It made for an insanely long pause, after the first greetings were discharged.

"So you're not living with him anymore?" Setsuie-sama had said, when Kyoko told her she and Sho weren't on talking terms. "I see. I'm really sorry to hear that – I hope you can make do alone in Tokyo."

"I'm alright," she'd said. "I can't promise anything, but if I see Sho, I'll let him know you've been trying to get a hold of him."

"Thank you, Kyoko-chan."

"Setsuie-sama, has something happened?" It seemed so odd that Sho's mother would try to get in contact with him, after all this silence. Then again, Kyoko didn't know how often they communicated – they could have been talking on the phone constantly in the beginning, but she had spent so long outside of the apartment she had no way of knowing.

"Not really," Sho's mother said. "That is… my husband has been feeling poorly lately, and he's been wanting to speak to Shotarou for a whole now. But we didn't know how to approach him."

Kyoko frowned, feeling the old sentiments of resentment stirring inside of her once again. Honestly, she'd been jealous of Sho's parents. Maybe it was because they were the only couple she saw interacting on a regular basis, but they seemed like the perfect example of a family. She'd dreamed that one day she (and Sho, ugh!) would be just like them, and had been looking forward to calling them mother and father.

Of course, she thought as she polished the tables in Daruma-ya, just because the son had treated her badly didn't mean that the kindness his parents had shown her had not been real. After all, Sho's mother had taught her many skills, without which Kyoko doubted she would have gotten her current day job. Even if she didn't owe Sho nothing other than the most gruesome revenge, his parents raised her and she owned them a tremendous debt.

And then…

"Okami-san," Kyoko said. "I might have to leave town for a day or two. Would it be possible for me to take the Friday off?"

Her landlady peeked out of the kitchen, a frown on her face. "Leave town? Where to?"

She sighed. "Kyoto."

* * *

President Takarada must be going through another pirate stage, Ren thought as he observed the decorations in the waiting room. Pictures of Caribbean landscapes, models of ships, living parrots flying about… he would not have been surprised if Johnny Depp strolled in, in full Jack Sparrow gear.

"Do you know why he wants to see me so suddenly?" he asked Jelly Woods, who was keeping him company.

"No. But knowing my darling, it's probably some spur-of-the-moment thought that transformed into a helpful idea," Jelly said. "He doesn't tell me anything, though."

Ren nodded absent-mindedly. The question was redundant – he already had a good idea what the president might be calling him in for, and he wasn't looking forward to another dressing-down. He had promised not to hurt Kyoko, and yet there he was, being rude and unfeeling towards her. There was no doubt that Lorry knew everything in excruciating detail – Ren just hoped that the scolding wouldn't be too bad.

The doors opened, and Takarada's latest (and slightly shell-shocked) associate staggered out. Ren waited for a beat, then followed Jelly inside.

The president was lounging, in the costume of a 1700's plantation governor, and flipping through some files. "Ah, Ren, Ten-san, right on time. Are you doing well?"

"Yes, sir," the younger man said.

"Excellent. Take a seat, I'll be done with these in a minute."

Ren looked at Jelly for help, but the make-up artist was already leaving the room. She gave him a thumbs-up and closed the door.

Silence fell. Ren was pretty sure that the paperwork could wait, and that the president was just letting him stew before going for the kill, but he said nothing. In his mind, he deserved it. Finally, Lorry set the dreaded files aside and faced him.

"There's been a complication."

"I didn't mean it," Ren blurted out.

"Mean what?" the president asked, taken aback.

"I didn't mean to be rude to her," he said. "I really didn't. I'm sorry, and I'll do what it takes to make it up to her."

Takarada blinked. "I think you need to explain that again, Ren. I don't think I understand."

The younger man stared. Then he heaved a sigh. "This is about what happened yesterday with Mogami-san, isn't it? You heard that I said some mean things to her, didn't you?"

"Well, I do now," the president said. "Although it does put things in a clearer light."

Ren winced. "I'm almost afraid to ask, but what things?"

President Takarada didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pressed the tips of his fingers together and surveyed his protégé. Ren was not inherently cruel, but he tended to focus too much on his own drama, and forget that others didn't have enchanted lives either. As such, there was only a certain way you could approach things with him.

"Mogami-san requested a leave of absence earlier this morning. She'll be unavailable until Friday, possibly longer, and said that a relative had fallen ill."

For a moment, Ren was completely immobile. Then he covered his face and slumped in his chair. "I've blown it."

"Not necessarily," Lorry said. "For all we know, she really could be visiting a sick relative. You're not the only one who's stingy about details of their past."

Ren rubbed his eyes. "Has she said anything else? Anything at all?"

"No. Just that she is very sorry, of course, and that she will make up for it as soon as possible. Sawara-san is re-arranging her schedule as we speak, and she says that her boss from Daruma-ya has given her a holiday already. I imagine she had some days accumulated." President Takarada lit a cigar. "The only thing left is her role as Setsu."

Ren wasn't listening. The events of the previous day were running in his head at full speed, and the disjoined images started connecting. Kyoko, furious, storming up to Fuwa and immediately launching into an angry triad. Her running after him. Her asking, hesitantly, if he would be okay without her for a few days.

"She tried to tell me," he said, in the voice of a man who's just been handed his death sentence. "She tried to tell me, and I acted like a complete and utter ass."

"Well, if _you _say so, I won't try to dispute it," Takarada said.

Ren groaned. This was horrible. Worse than a dressing-down. Worse than being threatened with an outing. Worse, even, than having to share a tiny apartment with the girl he loved… while she played a character whose idea of in-house attire was a mini-dress and boots. She'd just started feeling more like his equal, and then he went and put her down immediately.

"I made a huge mess of this," he said, looking at Takarada wretchedly.

"Undoubtedly."

"When does she leave?" Maybe he could meet her at the train station, or at Daruma-ya, and offer her a ride. Or, at the very least, tell her that he didn't mean any of the things he said, that she was very important and that please, if this newly found relative's illness wasn't too serious (read: he wasn't dying), could she postpone the trip.

The president read his intentions and ordered him to stay in the chair.

"She's going to do what she set out to do, Ren, and you're going to let her," he said. "I told you already, I never asked you to look after Mogami-san, and I won't have you breathing down her neck whenever she tries to put some distance between the two of you."

"I'm not… I just…" Ren gave up. "I don't want her to misunderstand."

"Then I suggest you be more careful what you say next time you two have a fight," the president said. "As it is, Mogami-san's schedule has been cleared for the next few days, and she'll be taking her break. The only question is whether you will continue as planned with the Black Jack shoot, or wait until she comes back."

Ren hesitated. His schedule was pretty busy, but it wasn't anything a little clever managing couldn't fix. He could count on Yashiro to handle the interviews and the shootings and whatnot, and he could become Cain Heel when Kyoko returned.

But what if she didn't return, a little treacherous voice in his head asked. What if she was so spooked by his crazy mood swings that she quit the Setsu stunt?

What was more, he was running out of time. It had been a little under a month since his father had come to visit. The Black Jack shooting was scheduled to end in three weeks. What if he hadn't been able to conquer "Kuon" by then? What if he still couldn't face his parents after he was done being Cain Heel? He needed Kyoko, but if he relied too heavily on her, the whole exercise would be useless.

"I'll go on," he said. "I've already decided."

And he could only hope that she returned to him.


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Skip Beat! I wish I did though.**

**Who's excited about the next chapter, though? I wanna know what Sho was alluding to! And Ren! That chappie definitely lacked Ren!**

* * *

Seeing the Fuwa Ryoken after two years of absence was a strange experience. The park seemed smaller, the lanes harrower. Was it really so long ago that she was running around here, pretending to be playing with fairies? She wasn't much taller than she had been when she'd left for Tokyo, yet everything seemed different from where she stood.

The resort itself was largely unchanged, although she noted that it had been recently repainted. She felt a familiar tension building up, and tried to remind herself that her mother no longer lived here.

She entered and almost immediately saw Yumiko, one of the girls who had been starting their apprenticeship at the time of her leaving.

"Welcome," she said, smiling. "Do you have a reservation?"

"Yumiko-san," Kyoko said. "It's me."

The girl stared at her, then dropped her pencil and rushed out from behind the reception desk to hug her. Then, without preamble, she rushed her into the staff room, where more hugging and squealing was initiated – as it turned out, most of the staff had remained the same, and they were all glad to see her. Kyoko was starting to get light-headed, when a voice cut through the commotion.

"What's the meaning of this?"

The women around her scattered, revealing a tall figure in a traditional kimono. Kyoko froze, then straightened up and bowed politely.

"Good day, Setsuie-sama."

* * *

Sho's mother was one of those women that made you feel uncomfortable even when you weren't doing anything odd. Kyoko wondered if she had always known that, or if she had just come up with that ridiculous observation.

They were sitting in a little side room and Setsuie was preparing tea.

"I must say, I didn't expect you to come," she said. "I've wanted to see you, of course, but I never thought… I do hope it hasn't caused you much inconvenience."

"No, it's alright," Kyoko said. "I managed to shift work around and freed a few days."

"Ah, wonderful," Setsuie said, and arranged her sleeves more carefully. "I take it you didn't get to see my son before you left?"

Kyoko hesitated. If Sho hadn't called already, it was likely that he wouldn't. "I've tried leaving a message for you. His manager will probably hear it."

Sho's mother sighed. "Never mind. It's not that important." She played with the tea things, then gave Kyoko a small smile.

Both women were silent. Kyoko stared at the familiar surroundings and tried to work up the courage to speak up. She had so much she wanted to say, yet no words to put together. There was simply no way to say what she needed to without coming off as ungrateful or shameless.

"I'm really glad you came, though," Sho's mother said. "It really does mean a lot."

"Thank you. Fuwa-sama," Kyoko said, "I'm really sorry about the manner with which I left your care. It was foolish and inconsiderate, and I don't deserve your courtesy, but I do hope that you will be able to forgive me, after a time."

Because she was bowing, she could not see the expression that passed through Setsuie's face. She hid it well though – it was gone as fast as it had come, so that when Kyoko raised her head, she was met with an image of perfect serenity.

"I never blamed you to begin with," she said, while pouring them both tea. "True, you left rather abruptly, but you were nearly sixteen at the time, and Shotarou could already travel on his own. You needed to find your own way, and if it meant going to Tokyo, then so be it." She gave Kyoko a penetrating look. "He hasn't acted inappropriately towards you, has he?"

Kyoko thought about Sho – how he had used her, tossed her aside, how he had repeatedly insulted and belittled her. It stung as badly as the first day, but she realized that Setsuie wasn't asking about that.

"No," she said. "He treated me like a sister."

"That's good, at least," Sho's mother said, and then changed the subject. "Do you plan on being away from Tokyo for long?"

Kyoko shifted in her seat. "No, unfortunately. I only got time off from work until Friday."

"I see." She didn't ask what kind of work that was. "Well, we have kept your room as it was – you can always stay here."

"You're very kind."

"Nonsense. You're practically family," Sho's mother said. "And if you were to return to Kyoto permanently, I wouldn't hesitate to give you a job. You were one of the best of our staff, and I wouldn't mind having you here again."

* * *

Later, Setsuie brought Kyoko to see Sho's father. Fuwa-san looked a touch more animated than his wife had made him out, and immediately sent for someone to bring a radish and a knife. Kyoko had laughed while doing her old trick, but the rose she made was a touch less perfect than the others. She could tell Fuwa-san thought so too, and quickly justified her lack of skill with the lack to practice time.

"So you're really busy, eh?" he had said, examining the radish. "Those people you work for in Tokyo must work you in the ground."

"Not at all. It's just that I have so many jobs, and I have to go to school…"

"Oh, yes, yes, of course, you're still in school." Fuwa-san had patted her hand. "I always forget you're only sixteen, Kyoko-chan. You always had such a gravely air around you, like you had to take care of everyone."

She smiled, and didn't correct him.

"So what kind of place are you working in?" Fuwa-san asked.

"Oh, Daruma-ya is a traditional restaurant. I mostly cover the floor, although the Taisho has me help him from time to time. And I also get jobs through LME."

"LME? What is that?" Setsuie asked. She had been preparing her husband's medicine by the side of the bed.

"It stands for Lory's Majestic Entertainment," Kyoko said. "It's a talent agency for actors and singers."

Both of Sho's parents gave her a long, surprised look.

"So… you're an actress, Kyoko-chan?" Setsuie asked, at length.

"Yes. I only do small jobs, but recently I've gotten a couple of bullying roles," she said. "I played Mio in _Dark Moon_."

The Fuwas reacted like everyone else did, when hearing of that for the first time – with disbelief, followed by surprise and awe. Later on, the other employees in the ryoken asked her about it too, and gasped and giggled when she told them all about it. Yes, she had come three hours earlier to have her make-up done. Yes, she did get a lot of role requests after that drama. Yes, Tsuruga Ren really did all his stunts by himself.

Her sempai was a favorite subject in Kyoto as well as in Tokyo, never mind that the son of the owners was rising in popularity at an incredible speed. Kyoko took pleasure in listening to the other girls fawn over him, but deep down, she felt worry worm its way into her heart. Had he decided to go along with the Cain Heel act without her? Probably. His words, _I don't need you, _rang into her mind again and again, making her increasingly miserable.

At last, she decided to step outside and take a walk outside. It was spring, and the woods had just started to waken. She strolled down the familiar alleys, before veering off on her usual route. Soon, her clearing came up.

Except, like everything else, it looked much smaller. The creek, which had seemed like a river when she was little, was so narrow now she could easily jump over it without getting her shoes wet. She chose to sit down on a fallen log instead. And thought.

Tsuruga-san had said that he didn't need her. Maybe earlier, she would have believed that, but they had gone an admittedly long way since they first met. She wasn't so shy about asking him what the matter was, and even if he was as evasive as ever, he seemed to trust her more.

Or, you know, just clung to her like a lifeline from time to time.

The thought brought a blush to her cheeks, but also brought back the dread she had first experienced, when faced with the prospect of leaving Tokyo. The same questions ricocheted in her head.

Would he really be alright, without Setsu?

Would Mursame push him too far?

How much of the act was Cain Heel, and how much of it was Tsuruga Ren?

She tried telling herself, for the umpteenth time, that her sempai could handle it, but her previous revelations contradicted that idea. Tsuruga Ren had issues. Lots and lots of issues, and some of them were far too great to handle, especially for someone like her. He obviously blamed himself for something horrible, and that self-loathing ran deeper than he let people believe. In a way, Tsuruga Ren was an acting himself.

No.

No, that wasn't right.

Tsuruga Ren _was _an act. It was easy to forget, but she did remember when he had told the Beagle that this was a stage name. But for the life of her, Kyoko couldn't remember his real one. He was never referred to in another name, at least around her, and even the president always called him Ren. Added to that, his lack of knowledge about some traditional aspects of Japanese life, as well as his spelling difficulties, all pointed towards the fact that he was not, in fact Japanese.

She guessed it would make sense, but it also meant that she would have a harder time discovering what had happened to him. For one thing, she didn't even know where he had come from.

_What are you doing, Kyoko, _she thought. _If he really wanted you to find out his secrets, he would have told you._

He probably would have. But… still…

She remembered him waiting for her, that night when she had gone shopping. He'd been shivering from head to toe, and his hands were ice cold, even under the blanket. Try as she might, Kyoko couldn't bring herself to think of him as _just her sempai _after she'd seen him so vulnerable.

She dug through her pocket and retrieved her phone. If his schedule had been unchanged, he would be home right now. Kyoko wondered if he would be upset if she called him. Then she decided she just didn't care.

If she just heard him reassure her again, it would be okay, even if it was fake.

Ren answered on the first ring. She was so surprised she almost hung up.

"Hello? Hello, Mogami-san, is that you?" He sounded nervous, and even… a little breathless.

"Um, yes, hello," she said. "I'm sorry, this is an inconvenient time. I'll call you tomorrow."

"No, no, no," Ren said. "It's okay, I just… forgot the stove on, that's all. Sorry, it's off now. How are you, Mogami-san?"

"Fine, thank you," she said, while wondering how on Earth his stove was on in the first place. He didn't know how to cook.

"I heard from the president about your leaving. Did you arrive safely? Is your family alright?"

"Yes, yes, they're fine. I'll be staying for a few days to help them out." When Setsuie had mentioned that they wouldn't be getting a nurse until the weekend, Kyoko had offered to stay and help out so that Sho's mother wouldn't have to worry about both her husband and the ryoken.

"So it's very serious then? I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's… not so much serious as it is very inconvenient. The family who raised me… they're running a big business, and they need as many people as possible." She hesitated. "You're carrying on with the Cain Heel act."

"Yes," Ren said. "Unfortunately, I couldn't shift my schedule around, but I spoke to director Konoe, and he will arrange for me to have as little contact with Murasame as possible."

"I'm really sorry for the inconvenience," she said, wincing.

"Your family is more important," Ren said. "You wouldn't be able to focus while worrying about them, would you? It's better if you went and reassured yourself, instead of staying away."

Was it her, or did she hear wistfulness in his voice.

"I took my wig and clothes with me," she said. "If everything goes according to plan, I'll join you as soon as I step off the train on Friday."

"In that case, can you give me the time when you arrive? Cain Heel wouldn't let his sister walk alone to the hotel, after all," he said, no doubt sensing her confusion.

"But it might coincide with the filming," she said.

"It won't. Trust me."

Mollified, she complied. Then there was a pause. She didn't know how to close off, and she wanted to say something to reassure him, and prompt reassurance in return.

"Is there anything else, Mogami-san?" Ren asked. He sounded so eager, she blurted the first thing on her mind.

"I just wonder what would be in-character for Setsuka to do, when parted from her brother," she said, and kicked herself.

Tsuruga-san, however, considered the statement seriously, and replied, "Well, I'm guessing that she would miss him. I told the director that you went on a visit to a relative, so I guess he will modify that to suit our cover story. Setsuka would probably be annoyed."

"Yes, that's true. She would probably call her brother every day," Kyoko said, wondering if she was too transparent.

"And because her brother adores her, he would be looking forward to her phone calls," Ren said. "He might go as far as to keep his phone on during filming."

That made her freak a little. "That would cause so much trouble."

"It would. But if perhaps Setsuka was told very sternly to only call when there are scheduled breaks…" Ren trailed off.

"Yes, yes, that would make much sense," Kyoko said.

"Alright then." The voice on the other side shifted to a deeper, darker tone, and the next sentence was spoken in English. "Setsu, I'm serious. You better not call outside of those times, or else you'll be into a lot of trouble when you get back."

Kyoko smiled. "Okay, okay, jeez! It's not like I'll be interrupting anything important." She tried to throw as much petulance in her voice as she could muster.

Tsuruga-san chuckled, and the sound caressed her ears. "It's common courtesy to visit our relatives. Just bear with it."

"Fine," she said. The next words came out alone. "I wish I was back with you already."

It shocked her, and she held her breath. Was that a Setsu-like thing to say? Could he give her an NG sigh from Tokyo? But Ren's answer was pitch-perfect.

"I wish you were back too," he said, and she could feel the Emperor of the Night from across the line. Her heart skipped several beats, but she kept her voice cool.

"So why shouldn't I come back immediately?"

"Be patient," he said, and then added, "Be safe, Setsu. I miss you."


	4. Chapter 4

"So where's that sister of yours?"

Ren glanced briefly at Murasame, then resumed staring in the distance without answering.

"Don't ignore me, you bastard! Do you think that you can go a whole day without talking to anyone? Or do you plan on actually participating like a human being!"

In the confines of his sleeve, Ren's hand balled into a fist. He really needed to invest in a stress ball. Possibly one that was shaped like Murasame's head.

"Answer me!"

"To what?" Ren asked. "You're so scatterbrained, I can't be bothered with following your convoluted ramblings."

Murasame looked ready to start a fight, but then director Konoe called him over to discuss something in the script. When Murasame complied, and a little distance was put between him and Cain Heel, the whole room breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Ren sighed quietly. He'd promised director Konoe that he wouldn't get into more fights with Murasame, and he didn't want to break that promise, but the boy was just compulsively hateful. He didn't remember being so irritated with someone since Fuwa.

Thoughts of Japan's favorite teenybopper idol brought him back to Kyoko. The thought made him restless – she had only left Tokyo two days ago, and it felt like an eternity. If he had his way, he'd be on the first train to Kyoto, ready to make his excuses, on his knees if necessary. Little details like professional engagements and not knowing where she stayed be damned, he was willing to scour the city on foot. But Director Konoe hadn't been the only person he'd made promises to.

"_Ren, I want you to swear it," _the President had said. _"No matter how long it takes her, you will not try to influence her returning in any way."_

"_But you have no idea where she went or who those relatives are. She could be held by the yakuza for all we know."_

"_In any way, Ren. You won't call her, you won't text, you won't manipulate her or twist her arm around."_

"_I would never… What kind of monster do you take me for?"_

"_The lonely kind," _Lory had said. _"Listen to me, Ren. I know you don't mean to take advantage of her, but you are. The girl's a pathologic people pleaser, and on top of all, she holds your opinion in very high regard. This falling out you had can either work out great, or it can toxify your relationship forever. Think about that."_

Ren sighed again, this time louder. A stage hand that was walking past him started, and then scurried away as fast as he could. Ren kicked himself mentally. He was on set. He had to stay focused. Daydreaming wouldn't help, anyway – things were complicated enough as it were.

His phone buzzed, and he smiled when he saw the caller ID.

The President had forbidden him from calling Kyoko. He hadn't said anything about Kyoko calling him.

"Setsu," he said, smiling. Everyone in hearing range strained to listen.

"Brother. How's the filming going?"

He chuckled. Straight to the point as usual. "How do you think?"

"Did that idiot pick a fight already? He usually waits until after lunch."

"Alas. One can't get a moment's rest. How's Kyoto?"

"How do you think?"

_Good. Too good. So good that it makes you reconsider coming back at all._

"That boring, huh?"

"You have no idea. It's only a few more days, but it's a pain," Kyoko said. Ren tried to discern how much of the petulance in her voice was real, and how much – for the sake of the act. It tallied pretty evenly. Too evenly.

"Really? Is it such trouble?" he asked, hoping to tip the balance a little in his favor.

"No," her tone dropped to her more natural timber. It almost felt like he was talking to her again. "No. Everyone's really nice, and I'm not doing any particularly hard work. It's just that…"

He held his breath.

"It's just that… this place is weird."

Ren frowned. "Weird how?" If she felt like she was in some kind of danger, he'd get there for her, promises be damned. He remembered what had happened last time she'd called him to say she was afraid, and he hadn't come on time. He didn't want to think what might have happened if it hadn't been for Fuwa's intervention.

"Just… nostalgic, I guess. It's like I've been here, once." Her tone dropped further, acquiring an odd, dreamy quality to it. "Everything is so familiar, and yet so different, like it's from another life."

"Maybe it is."

"Hmm," she said, then giggled. "Brother… you know that legend they have here, that lovers who killed themselves are reborn as siblings?"

Ren blinked. Yes, that bit of unrelated weirdness was all Setsu. "I'm glad to hear you're enjoying your visit," he said. "Don't call me during the shoot, or I'll pick up."

"Fine, fine! Gotta go anyway, they're calling me. Miss you."

"I—" she hung up.

* * *

Kyoko closed her phone and took a deep breath to calm her galloping heart. Really? Lovers who killed themselves are reborn as siblings? Did she really just say that? To Tsuruga-san of all people? She felt like she might burn up in shame.

_At least you didn't say that to his face, _she thought, but it wasn't much consolation.

"Kyoko-chan?" Sho's father called from inside the room. She shook herself, hid the phone and went back inside. "I thought I heard your voice. Were you talking to a guest?"

"No, Fuwa-san," she said. "I had to take a… work-related call."

"Ah, yes, you were speaking in English. I wasn't sure, you know. You sounded so different."

She froze for a second. Had he understood her? She knew that his wife spoke English fluently, but she wasn't in the family rooms now, and she thought that the Taisho had never bothered to learn it. She imagined them asking her about those shameless things she said, and felt like dying of embarrassment.

"I don't know. Competent, I suppose." He coughed, distracting her. She went to fetch his medicine, and for a few minutes, they said nothing. "I'm sorry for burdening you like that, Kyoko-chan. Really, if my worthless son had done his duty, you wouldn't be in that position."

"Sho has his… work," Kyoko said. "I'm sure he means no disrespect."

Fuwa-san snorted, but didn't argue with her. He leaned back and closed his eyes. "Feels like I haven't seen you in ages. And yet you're just sixteen."

"Seventeen now, Fuwa-san."

"Really? I could have sworn we took you in only eight years ago. But oh, well. My head is playing tricks on me." He sighed – his medicine tended to make him sleepy. Kyoko watched him carefully, then tucked the blankets around him and set about straightening the room.

It really was a mess. Pillboxes, clothes, paper – it was clear that nobody had time to clean up around here. She didn't remember the ryoken ever being so busy, but then again, it had been a while. Perhaps, if Fuwa-san didn't need her, she could help downstairs, greeting the guests, or maybe lend a hand in the kitchens…

_What are you doing? You're not their servant._

Kyoko stopped and frowned down at the papers in her hands. True, she didn't live with the Fuwas anymore, but that didn't mean she had to sit around, picking her nose when there was so much work to be had.

_There's no need to break your legs running around, either. Just do what you're doing and call it a day._

She shook her head and focused on the task at hand. She really didn't understand her head sometimes.

Something caught her eye, and she turned the paper over to get a good look at it. It looked like a letter from a bank, denying an extended loan.

Kyoko frowned, realizing that quite a lot of the papers she was sorting out were of a similar sort. Requests for a loan, requests for extending the loan, bills, bills, bills. Not at all surprising, of course – once, when she had been fifteen or so, Sho's mother had given her a glimpse of the ryoken's financial documents, just so that she had an idea what kind of sums were standard.

But there was a letter from the insurance company, refusing refund for some piece of broken equipment because it wasn't properly registered. And another from a food supplier, giving third warning about a delayed payment. Kyoko wasn't a very skilled accountant, but she knew that being late on payments wasn't a good thing.

She shook her head. This was none of her business – she was an actress, after all, not a mathematician. She stopped her work and stepped up to the window to enjoy the view – surely, the peacefulness of it all would calm her right down.

But worry had already wormed its way into her heart, and she looked upon the woods and groves, not with a nostalgia of childhood, but with the critical eye of someone trained to be an okami from a very early age. And what she saw bothered her. The park looked well enough, but there were signs that it wasn't being kept like it had been. The lanes were narrower because nobody would bother to cut up some branches for a good path. The staff running around seemed depleted.

Perhaps if she were a customer, coming for the first time, this would not have bothered her. But she had lived here for most of her life, and she prided herself on knowing it as well as Setsuie-sama. She could tell when there was something rotten.

Kyoko glanced at Fuwa-san. He was still sleeping deeply. Surely, he wouldn't begrudge her if she checked out the account books, just gave them a quick glance to settle her fears. And since he was the one who kept record, she wouldn't even have to leave his room to do it.

Ignoring the thought that she was snooping, Kyoko knelt by the table holding the books and started searching.

* * *

"Cut! That's a wrap. Good job everybody!" Director Konoe said, dismissing them.

Ren stepped out of the shooting range, and went directly to his bag. No new messages, no missed calls. Not at all unsurprising, but he had been holding out some hope.

Meanwhile, Murasame went up to the director.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked, before the other man could get a word in edgewise.

Konoe nodded and they walked up to one of the private rooms. "What can I do for you, Murasame-kun?"

"It's about Cain Heel," Murasame hesitated. "Director, where is his translator?"

"Heel-san says Setsuka-san had to go visit some relatives they have in the country. She should be back by Friday."

"Isn't that irresponsible? After all, he needs her, doesn't he?"

Konoe didn't reply immediately. He measured the younger man's tone, took in his stance, tried to gauge the hidden meaning. Everyone knew, at this point, that Cain Heel could speak Japanese, but Murasame had a special grudge against him and his sister.

"I'm not sure how you want me to respond," the director said. "Heel-san can handle the everyday interactions well enough, and today's filming went without a glitch."

"Yes, but…" Murasame opened his mouth, then stopped. "But he's loose. I don't like that."

"I don't understand."

"When we fought…" the actor began. "When I dropped us from those boxes… she was there. I heard her scream, and he let me go."

Konoe didn't answer.

"Forgive me, I must speak plainly. That man you've hired is unstable," Murasame said. "The only times when acts halfway normal is when his sister is near. Now she's not here to hold his leash – how long do you think it'll take before a tragedy strikes, director? Are you really going to allow it."

The director locked his jaw. He didn't want to admit it, but Murasame's fears were justified, very much so. Even with Tsuruga-san's assurance that everything was an act, he still felt a little scared. In the back of his head, he knew that such a powerful response was impossible – nobody was that good an actor.

"You certainly noticed a lot, Murasame-kun," Konoe said, at length. "However, I don't know what you want from me."

"Isn't it obvious? Fire him for disobedience and get someone else in to do the part. He's clearly too dangerous to have around."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Murasame-san."

"But…"

"Hear me out. Heel-san is very rash, yes, but he's a foreigner who is used to doing things his own way. Furthermore, if I fired him for disobedience, I would have to let you go as well."

"You can't tell me you think that, Director," Murasame said, but his voice lacked conviction. The wheels were starting to turn in his head, and he didn't like the score he got.

"I'm just telling you how this will look like from a lawyer's point of view. Which, undoubtedly, it would come down to if I fired Heel-san without good justification. We've signed a contract, and so far he's been fulfilling his obligations – to act. If we terminate his contract, we would have to pay handsomely. Furthermore, we're already a long way into the productions – changing the actor means we need to reshoot the scenes we have already done, which means more time and more money. Lastly, there's the engagement on the other actors' time, which is already agreed upon – we need to give them compensation as well."

"Director—"

"Let me finish, Murasame-kun. I'm trying to explain that from the producers' standpoint, letting Heel-san go will just not do, not without good justification."

"So we're going to let him go, and hope he doesn't blow up?"

"I'm afraid so."

Murasame seemed deep in thought. Finally, he said, "Director, am I to understand that you need better justification to let Heel go?"

"Yes."

"And that we can't use any of the old footage?"

"Not without paying another hefty sum, no."

"And if there was a good reason? A reason which even the police can't ignore?"

"Murasame-kun…"

"We're speaking hypothetically here, director. If Heel-san was arrested, then the producers would have no other choice than to find a different actor, and nobody would have to pay anything, right?"

"In theory, yes, but Murasame-kun…"

"No, I understand. That would not be a good thing. I will trust your judgment, director, and do my best not to provoke him further."

With that, he bowed and left.

* * *

Kyoko's legs were cramped from kneeling in the same position for too long, but she daren't stretch, for fear of waking up Fuwa-san. She'd looked through the main ledgers for the past three years, comparing and contrasting notes and finding no great differences in the accounts. And yet, unlike past years, the ryoken was running a pretty hefty loss because of unpaid bills.

She started chewing on her nails, before realizing what she was doing. A suspicion was one thing, but this? The numbers certainly looked serious. She knew she was no expert, but it didn't take a genius to compare the numbers from previous years and to tell that things weren't going so well. And they would be, if the Fuwa's avoided the overtime costs, but they couldn't. For some reason, money just wouldn't come in.

There were a few accounts that didn't make sense – they were written off as investments from various accounts, but as far as Kyoko knew, the hotel was owned by the family. The biggest shareholder, a company known only as "M", had stopped paying a couple of years ago, about the same time as Kyoko had left for Tokyo with Sho.

The coincidence surprised her, and she tried looking it up, but there was little to be found – Fuwa-san had kept no record of the company, no description, no contracts that she could find. Really, the only note of it was the monthly payment it made, and a phone number.

As she put the books away, she wondered for the umpteenth time why she was so worried. Surely, the Fuwas knew what they were doing. They'd been running this show for a while now, and they'd pulled through well enough.

But… still…

Sho's father started to stir. She hurried to put away the things, and copied down "M"s number. She'd have to check things out more carefully later on.

* * *

**A/N Sorry this chappie took so long, y'all. I was swamped these last weeks, so there was very little time to do anything. I also decided to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo this summer, so there's also that to take care of. I will, however, do my best to wrap this story up soon, you can count on that!**

**I like reviews, too! Reviews are a writer's biggest pleasure!**


	5. Chapter 5

Kuon was running. It was dark, he couldn't tell which street he was on, but the pavement beneath his feet was like quicksand. It made movement extremely difficult, like he was wading through molasses. Behind him, someone yelled at him to stop.

Idiots. Like that ever worked.

Tina was there, screaming "Murderer, Murderer". Then other voices joined her – Murasame's taunts, mixed with the other guy's, Rick's last words to him, his parents, begging him to come home. They filled his head, threatening to shatter it.

It was getting harder to breathe. His legs were tired. He was too slow to take a decision – left or right – and he could hear his pursuers closing in on him. There was a ledge there somewhere, all of a sudden – there had always been a ledge. He stood on it, looking down. Wasn't it better to just jump?

He shifted his weight forward. And just as he was going into a freefall, a scream cut through all the other voices. Loud and clear as a bell, it was one he could recognize anywhere. But it was too late.

* * *

Ren woke up.

For a moment, he lay in bed, trying to remember his surroundings. He was still breathing heavily. He turned around and looked at Kyoko's bed. It still gave him a jolt to see it empty.

_I wish she were here, _he thought for the umpteenth time. _I wish the President would let me go take her back. _

That was only partly true. He wanted to see her, but even in his worst state, he knew that going as far as tracking her when she was out of town was invasive. He might as well break out the body glitter and make a habit of watching her sleep.

Ren glanced at the phone. It was almost dawn. Knowing there was no way for him to go back to sleep, he rolled out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom. Maybe he would even try cooking breakfast today – he was almost certain that if he started a fire, the hotel would evacuate the other guests in time.

He stopped when he caught sight of himself in the mirror. His face was pale, his eyes – bloodshot, and he was shaking like a leaf. Was this what Kyoko saw that one time they slept in the same bed? No wonder she was scared – he looked like a junkie coming down from a high.

With a groan, Ren turned his back on his reflection and went to the kitchen instead. Kyoko had hung a calendar there, a grotesque thing with kittens and sparkles and bows, girly to the max and suiting her to the T. He picked up a marker and crossed out the current date – the third in a line of X's that spanned the week. He only had to hold the front for two more days until she returned. Just two more days. He could do that much, couldn't he

Nodding to himself, he started the coffee maker and picked up a cup. The handle came off in his hand.

* * *

Unbeknownst to him, Ren wasn't the only one awake at this hour. Across town, a man in a hoodie sat in the park, twirling an cigarette in his fingers. Another one, wearing a trench coat with a gang's symbol on the back, came down the alley, and, after taking a long look around, joined the first one on the bench.

"Didn't think you'd show up," Hoodie said.

"Such little faith, and after all we've been through? You disappoint me."

"I know it's very short notice. Not everyone would be able to do me a favor so soon."

"Don't be ridiculous. There are tons of people willing to do you a favor. The only question is – what will you do to pay me back?"

"I have considerable resources at my disposal," Hoodie said. "Name your price – it will be done."

"All this, without even asking for an estimate? You must be in a real hurry."

"No. It's just that this is an important favor."

"Alright," Trench Coat said. "What is it that you want to do? Is there someone you want us to take out for you? Some clerk or cop that made things difficult for you?"

"It's easier than that. He's a foreigner, and a freak to boot. His name is Cain Heel – he lives in an apartment in - hotel."

"Foreigner, you say?" Trench Coat said, a suspicion creeping into his voice. "And a freak? How does he look like?"

"Taller than me. Long black hair. Dresses like a Grim Reaper. You can't miss him."

Trench Coat was silent. The other guy turned to look at him, and saw his companion start to sweat. "What? Is something wrong?"

"Tell me, this Cain Heel… is he a gifted fighter, per any chance?"

"Yes. Though he shouldn't be a match for you guys."

"Are you trying to get us killed?" Trench Coat yelled, startling some of the birds from the tree. "Sorry, Murasame, but I have to decline. I know who this guy is. Kazu's band had a run-in with him by this posh store uptown – they barely made it with their lives."

If Murasame was surprised, he didn't let it show on his face. He had fought with Heel, after all. He knew what he was capable of.

"Kazu and his friends are punks. They were too scared to break out on their own until I retired. I've fought this guy. You guys will handle it."

"I'm sorry, Murasame-kun, but I have to decline. Going against this guy is suicide."

The actor let out a sharp breath. "Fine. Then set me up with some stuff. I'll do all the dirty work."

"Do you think the cops will go against him?"

"They'll have no choice."

Trench Coat seemed to hesitate. At length, he said, "If this backfires, I will deny everything."

"I know that," Murasame said. "I'm not an idiot."

"Fine. How fast do you want the stuff?"

"As fast as possible. Today would be great."

Trench Coat nodded, then took off without any further comment. Murasame waited until he was out of sight, and then threw his hood off. He stared around with a grim look on his face. He was running a tremendous risk, doing this by himself. There were thousands of things that could go wrong, with him being fired riding on top of the list.

But then he remembered being held above ground, his air being cut off, feeling his life running through his fingers. He had to put an end to this. No risk was too high.

* * *

Kyoko was up early too. After making sure that Sho's father was alright for the day, she donned a staff uniform and went to help in the kitchens. There, she was paired off with a girl name Mai and the two were put on cleaning duty. It was hard, but fulfilling, and Mai had a lot of stories to tell, once the two warmed up to each other.

"You really went motorcycle racing?" she asked.

"Yeah," Mai said, rolling her eyes. "I also hung out with bangs and got a yakuza-style tattoo. Nah, kidding, I didn't do any of that. But I did skip school a few times too many, so my parents sent me here, so that I _got my priorities straight. _Air quotes implied."

Kyoko laughed, and thought how Mai and Chiori would hit it off right away. They had the same dry sense of humor, the same sardonic look on life.

"How does that work?" Kyoko asked. "Getting your priorities straight, I mean. How does working in a ryoken do that?"

Mai shrugged, but the flippancy of the gesture seemed forced. Her eyes clouded. "They think that I'll learn the importance of hard work, and stop acting so disrespectfully towards them. As if sneaking out for a smoke is disrespectful."

Kyoko's grudges perked up. Even if Ren wasn't around to feed them with his murderous aura, Mai's was a good enough substitute. She wondered if she ought to encourage the younger girl to talk about it, then decided it never hurt anyone to share their problems.

"You seem very angry," she chanced.

"Wouldn't you be angry? I mean, they just took my teachers' word for granted, without even listening to what I had to say!" People turned around when she raised her voice. She and Kyoko grinned sheepishly, and pretended to be engrossed in their work. Finally, Mai said, "They just needed to get rid of me for a while. That's why they sent me here."

Kyoko nodded, although deep down, she worried. Mai's story was oddly similar to her own – disengaged parents abandoning their child – but she had never felt antagonistic towards the Fuwas for taking her in. On the contrary, she'd been glad there was a family to love her enough to keep her, even if her grades were mediocre and her performance – lacking.

Mai, on the other hand, was angry at everyone, and it showed – her work was sloppy, her attitude towards the rest of the staff was indifferent, even insolent. Kyoko wanted to correct her, point out that taking real joy from work was reward enough, but then she reminded herself that this wasn't her job. Surely, Setsuie-sama would install proper manners in her.

But then Mai said something completely unexpected.

"I think that everyone hopes to be a little like you, though."

"How so?"

"Well, you started off here, right? And now you're a TV star. It's a pretty sweet thing to aspire to," Mai said.

It took Kyoko a minute to process that. Then she felt confused. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean, Mai-san."

"Oh, come on! Surely you don't think everyone is as dense as the Fuwas. People remembered you, and they recognized you in Dark Moon. Some of them thought that it was the skills you learned here that got you these roles."

Kyoko almost laughed, so ridiculous was the statement. But Mai was dead serious.

"Even my parents think that, if I grow up to be an actress, it wouldn't be so bad."

"Mai-san, really, this is flattering, but it isn't my experiences here that made me who I am today."

"Really? And what is?"

Hard work. Sho's betrayal. Her own background and history. Incredible luck. Supportive friends. When Kyoko really thought about it, she couldn't imagine her career without Moko-san and Chiori-san, the president, Otou-san, or Sawara-san.

Or Tsuruga-san. Especially Tsuruga-san.

It was true that some of the skills she had learned at the ryoken had helped her out. For example, she would not have survived in Tokyo if not for the two jobs she worked to keep both herself and Sho sheltered and fed. She would not have impressed those first directors with her professionalism, or her determination, without those founding years.

But everything was relative, and she had come a long way to get where she was. She wanted to tell Mai how fleeting luck was, and how the barest of coincidences could trip her or boost her to the top.

Instead, she changed topics.

"Who's everyone?"

"Oh, the rest of the kids the Fuwas took in," Mai said. "Rina-chan, Yoshiko-chan and Nina-san all came with me. Our parents are either overseas, or working too hard, or "disappointed" in us—" she smirked sardonically "—so they're paying Setsuie-san and her husband to look after us, and hopefully teach us something useful."

Kyoko's hands stilled. "Oh," she said, her voice as fake as cotton candy. "Is that so?"

Mai stared at her, as if to say, "Didn't you know?"

Feeling the room grow too hot all of a sudden, Kyoko put her broom down and said, smiling. "I'm sorry, I'm due to check on Fuwa-san. Will you do okay on your own?"

Mai nodded, oblivious to the tension in the air. Kyoko bowed to the rest of the kitchen staff and went out, feeling her lungs contracting. She reached into her pocket and retrieved the phone number.

"M" company. "M" like Mogami. The payments that had stopped around the same time she had gone to Tokyo. It seemed like too much of a coincidence. Although she tried to be reasonable about it, there was no other explanation. What company would just give money away without guarantee? The answer was that it wasn't a company at all, but a person.

And children were expensive, after all. The Fuwas had needed an allowance of sorts.

Though that all seemed logical to her, simple even, her head was spinning with the enormity of the discovery. _Of course, _the Fuwas had a contact with her mother. _Of course, _they must have kept her up to date with her life. Of course. It all made sense.

Kyoko knelt on the porch and laughed quietly. She'd thought she was so clever, back then. She'd thought that her mother knew nothing about her going to Tokyo. Of course she'd known. She just never cared.

She dug through her pocket and retrieved her phone. She was about to phone Tsuruga-san, when she realized he must be filming already. Then she shook her head – really, was she ten or something? She didn't have to call her sempai to bother him with the minute details of her life.

Kyoko tried to get her thoughts in order. So she had her mother's phone number. What now? It was obvious, at this point, that the woman didn't care for her. Why would she want to talk to her? By any means, Kyoko owed her no debt.

And yet… yet…

Her fingers were dialing the number without her consent. Before she lost her courage, she hit "Dial" and held the phone up. Someone picked up on the second ring. A man.

"Kato and associates, how can I help you?"

That threw her off. The man on the other end of the line repeated his question. She snapped out of it.

"Hello, I'm calling to make an enquiry, in relation to a payment made to the Fuwa Ryoken."

"Please hold. What is the date of the transaction?"

With a voice she barely recognized as her own, Kyoko rattled off the date and account numbers. She heard the other line go silent. When the man answered, his tone was very different.

"That transaction was terminated in agreement to the contract signed by both parties. What is your enquiry?"

"I'm the accountant for the ryoken," Kyoko lied. "I'm trying to trace the transactions and determine their origin. Why is your company listed in the account books under "M"?"

"You should have known that already," the man said.

"Well, I don't." Kyoko decided to change gears. "Is there anyone in your company that goes under the name of Mogami, per any chance?"

The line went completely dead. She looked at the display to make sure they hadn't hung up on her, but everything was okay. When the man replied, his voice shook.

"Who is this? Who am I talking to?"

Panicking, Kyoko did the first thing on her mind – screamed "April's Fool" and hung up. Then she turned her phone off completely. Her heart felt like it might burst out of her chest, it beat so fast.

Then she heard Fuwa-san calling her, and she hurried to his aid. Stupid, she thought. Stupid, stupid, stupid. How presumptuous, to think the world revolved around her, and when there was so much to do! There she went, messing everything up.

Nervously, she shoved her phone into her pocket, and made up her mind not to think about this incident anymore. Maybe, she thought, if she didn't think of it anymore, she would get over the shame of it, eventually.

And, as she hurried to Fuwa-san's aid, she made a wish that her sempai's day went better than hers.

* * *

**A/N **Well, that certainly took me less than the last chappie, I should say. )

Also, it's Pimp-Other-People's-Fics o'clock, y'all! If you want a good rec, I suggest **Dear Sempai **by **leavesfallingup. **It's an awesome fic, and a great read for the days when I'm trying to bang up the next chapter of this story. If you haven't read it, do so, and leave a review! (and if you leave one for this fic too, I won't mind. Just sayin')


	6. Chapter 6

If there was anything Tsuruga Ren knew from his wild years, it was that the worst things happened when you least expect them to. And since you least expect something bad to happen when things seem to be going fine, he grew to dread any lengthy moments of calm.

So when the first half of his day went perfectly fine, he went on his guard. It wasn't just that Kuon was unusually subdued – his old personality had calmed down considerably after that last incident – but the other actors were being unusually cooperative. Even Murasame, with whom Ren had to act in three out of the five scenes they shot, was quietly following the script and wasn't even trying to taunt him. Perhaps director Konoe had finally gotten everyone to calm down and do their job, but Ren knew better.

In the lunch break, he poked at his sandwich distractedly when he heard some commotion outside. Even if it wasn't in Cain Heel's character to care for these things, he got up and went into the corridor, just in time to see some stage hands lose control of a trolley carrying a large piece of equipment. It rolled down the corridor, smashing into things, and sending people scurrying for cover.

Ren didn't think – he raised his arms and stopped the runaway thing. It skidded to the side, then stilled.

"Heel-san, thank you so much," one of the stage hands said, hurrying to his side. "That was great on your part. We shouldn't have loaded the trolley so much, but—" Ren turned and walked away as fast as his feet could carry him.

Great. Breaking character, and not in a good way. He was glad that he gave the people a scathing look, at the very least, before he moved on.

He returned to his room and went back to his food. There was still half an hour before lunch break was over, and he wanted to make the most of it. He expected a call from Kyoko, and he was going to be very angry indeed if he missed it.

He was about to sit down, when he noticed that something was off. Not the feel of the room, but a small detail. Ren frowned, trying to work it out. He never head a head for details. But if he didn't figure it out, he knew he would be annoyed by this for the rest of the day.

Finally, he noticed – his bag, which he had throw under the table, now stuck out a little bit. Not a big deal, he could have kicked it.

He could have. But he didn't.

Slowly, as if dreading an attack, Ren went down on his knees and pulled the bag out. He unzipped it and opened it carefully. He was immediately glad he was wearing gloves, because right there, between his spare clothes, were several small packets filled with white powder.

He stared at them for a long time. Not because he didn't know what they were – he had grown up in Hollywood, after all, he knew exactly what those were – but because he was trying to get his temper under control. Kuon, whom he had considered subdued, reared his head and grinned. It was as if he could smell the blood that was about to be spilled.

Ren closed his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing. So this was how it was going to be. They were done playing nice and breaking out the brass knuckles. Fine. He could play dirty. He could play really dirty. And Murasame would be very sorry. Very sorry indeed.

He had to stop. He had to relax. He had to be cool about this, or else…

Or else, he might lose everything.

He was getting to his feet, intending to go on a walk and clear his head (and if he happened to run into Murasame… well… he didn't know, but he was sure that he would think of something), when he heard commotion outside. Again. Knowing too well that it wasn't another runaway trolley, he went to the window instead. He wasn't all that surprised to see the police cars parking in front.

He didn't know if it was a good or a bad thing.

* * *

It turned out that anonymous snitches did exist, and the police in Japan took them very seriously. Not fifteen minutes after they had received a tip-off that there was someone with considerable amounts of drugs on them in this or that location, they had closed off the building and started a sweep.

Ren watched as the main detective explained this to Director Konoe, and wondered how long it would take for the officers to get to his room. He saw Murasame in the corner, and thought he saw a smirk on the other actor's face. His fists clenched. He had to stay calm, yet he could barely focus, so strong was his desire to act.

He had one chance, and one chance alone to get out of this mess in one piece, and that was running an enormous risk. But he was up against the wall.

"I can spare you the search," he said in perfect Japanese, as soon as the detective was done. Everyone turned to him. "Cocaine, right? I found some in my bag, just as you were pulling up in front of the building. It should still be there, unless its owner picked it up again."

Everyone stared at him as if he had suddenly done something incredibly out of character, like putting on a sparkly hat and done a tap-dancing routine. The detective was the first to break out of his stupor.

"You found it? And you expect us to believe that?"

"You are very welcome to look through my things. I'm willing to give you my full cooperation."

Director Konoe rushed up to him. "Heel-san, this is…"

"I will cooperate," Ren repeated. "You should know how these investigations can impact on the filming. Hopefully, we'll be able to finish this nonsense on time."

Nobody had any complaints about that. The detective, hardly believing his luck, motioned at him to lead the way.

* * *

Ren didn't know how he maintained his calm throughout the ordeal, but he did. The DIY squad had checked all the other rooms, but no other drugs had been found, so his bag was the only thing taken away. Once that was done, the detective sat him down and started firing questions away. When had he found the drugs? Why had he left the bag unguarded? Why was he to believe him?

Ren answered them all, trying to maintain his character while still giving full cooperation. He knew cops, and he knew that particular detective's type – overeager and angry, determined to succeed and piss someone important off. Any resistance would be giving them ammunition. The only reason why he kept his temper under check was because he convinced Kuon there was bigger fish to fry.

Though he did come close to losing it when the police asked for both a blood and urine sample, _just in case _they missed something. Ren complied, reminding himself throughout that he had nothing to hide.

Nevertheless, the hard part stared after the police packed up and left.

Ren came down in Studio D to find the whole cast waiting. He turned to director Konoe, who wouldn't meet his eye for some reason. They waited. He said nothing. The director was the first to break.

"Well? Heel-san?"

"I cooperated." He figured that without Kyoko, he would just have to make do.

"But they didn't press charges, right?"

"They took a test. They said they'll let me know once the results are out." He didn't add that they had told him not to leave the country either. He figured it was self-explanatory.

Director Konoe wrung his hands. "But, the filming…"

"It should go as planned."

"No, it shouldn't," Murasame said. "I don't know about you guys, but I don't feel comfortable anymore in this environment. We shouldn't be made to act alongside someone who is a criminal."

And that, Ren thought, from a guy who openly bragged about being in a youth gang. Pathetic.

The others didn't think so, though. All around Murasame, people were nodding and giving Ren the stink eye. The tension was thick in the air.

Finally, director Konoe asked, "Heel-san, how long did the detective say their investigation would take?"

"A week, or more."

"In that case, I must ask you to leave for a while," the older man said. "I appreciate your cooperation, but right now, everyone is tense. I can't make arrangements with the producers to postpone the filming on such short notice, but we will minimize the stress on the other actors. I hope you understand."

He didn't wait for Ren to answer, turning instead to the other actors. Well, all the better. At least he didn't sack him.

* * *

The others started to disperse, carefully skirting around Ren. Murasame was the obvious exception – he walked straight past him. Kuon didn't let the opportunity go.

"Was this what you wanted?" he asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Murasame sneered. "Perhaps you should have learned better Japanese."

"You do realize they didn't press charges, right?"

"Doesn't matter. You're toast. You should have just stayed in England and spared us the trouble, freak."

Ren's fists started to shake. He couldn't control them anymore. Kuon was taking over.

"Then you pray that they do press charges," he told Murasame. "Pray that they keep me in custody, and don't let me back out on the streets."

Murasame turned on him, a fierce look in his eyes. Ren replied with a cold stare. The room went quiet, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

And then Ren's phone rang. There were only two people who could do so at that moment, and it was unlikely that the President had heard about this fiasco so soon.

"Setsu," he said. Murasame gave him a strange look, and didn't back off.

"Nii-san." Her voice had a strange tremor to it, which distracted him enough to turn away from that punk who begged to have his ass handed to him. "How are you?"

"There's been some trouble at work. I'll be taking a few days off."

"What? What kind of trouble? Are you alright?" Her panic was palpable.

"It's fine. I'm in no hurry," he said.

"You're not fine. I'm coming back immediately."

"Don't be ridiculous, Setsu." He knew better than to have her anywhere near him when he was in such an agitated state. If he got angry… if he snapped… he didn't want to think about what might happen then. "You have other engagements. You're coming home tomorrow."

"I don't care! I'm on my way to the train station anyway. This place _sucks._" Her voice broke on the last word, and he heard some fumbling on the other side of the line. It surprised him so much he conceded.

"Fine," he said. "Text me when your arrival time. I'll be waiting for you."

Kyoko mumbled something in agreement, and hung up. He stared at his phone thrown off by this abrupt change of plans. Then he noticed the time – it was a full hour past their scheduled call time. Had the police not arrived, she would have called in the middle of filming.

What on Earth had happened?

* * *

**A/N** It is scientifically proven that a lot of review = faster updates. Well, maybe not. But it would have been totally awesome if it were true.


	7. Chapter 7

There was a time when Kyoko couldn't please people enough. That wasn't to say they showered her with demands, Cinderella-style, but that she always wanted to do more. If they asked her to clean the tatami mats in one room, she'd sweet the entire wing. Serve dinner to one room? Why not every room in the corridor?

She never thought of that as bad – she was being helpful, after all. There was no such thing as overdoing it.

And then she learned that there was, and once it happened, her life became less stressful. It was a nice discovery, as far as those went. But she didn't think much of it until she returned to the Fuwa Ryoken, where people still expected her to go out of her way and do the work for them.

Once or twice, Kyoko caught Setsuie-sama giving her a disappointed look, but the older woman would have preferred to cut her own tongue before she said something straightforwardly. Instead, Kyoko got a lot of heavy sighs and hints that she was not having her priorities straight.

_Well, what does she expect of me, _Kyoko thought. _I'm not a little kid anymore, am I?_

But she couldn't bring herself to be really mad at Setsuie. After all, she'd come back to Kyoto on her own volition. There was nothing to be done about that.

It had been pouring ever since morning. The rain had forced the guests indoors, and she was drafted into serving tea to the bedrooms. Fuwa-san was feeling better, which was a relief, and there was thankfully enough work to keep her thoughts away from that embarrassing phone call earlier in the morning. She would have forgotten all about it too, but the person who had spoken to her wasn't so quick to dismiss it.

* * *

She was carrying a tray down the hall, past the office, when a quarrel caught her attention. Two people were arguing, and one of them sounded like Sho's mother.

"I told you she came back," the person who sounded like Setsuie said. "But you wouldn't believe me."

"With your track record, madam, I had all the reasons to be suspicious. The girl's been gone for quite some time, and you told me yourself there was no indication that she would be coming back."

"She did, and you will see for yourself, but in good time. You cannot drop in here unannounced and expect me to just take you to her. She needs to things explained to her."

"Yes, and I'll be glad to do that for her."

"I cannot let you do this. Even if she ran away in Tokyo, I'm still her legal guardian, and I have a say in what happens to her."

At this point, it was pretty clear who "she" was, but Kyoko had no idea what those people were talking about. For a moment, she thought about leaving – eavesdropping was not polite, after all – but then she remembered that this was something that concerned her directly.

So she knocked on the shoji screen and slid it aside. Fuwa Setsuie and an older, unfamiliar man, turned to look at her. For a moment, Kyoko's heart stopped under a flood of embarrassment, but she jumpstarted it again.

"I apologize," she said, sounding too formal even for her own taste. "But I overheard what you said while I was passing in the hallway, and I prefer not to eavesdrop. Who is this person, Fuwa-san?"

Sho's mother opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She coughed, and tried again. "Kyoko-chan, this does not concern you. I'll explain later – Kato-san was just leaving."

"I am most certainly not," Kato-san said, before bowing to Kyoko. "It's an honor to finally meet you, Mogami-san. There are no words to express how happy I am that I got in touch with you today."

"Pleased to meet you too," Kyoko said, noticing how her guardian looked like she might be sick. But Kato-san spoke before either of them could formulate a thought.

"Some tea, I think, is in order. Fuwa-san, could you arrange for that?"

"Of course," the woman muttered, still dazed. Kyoko, however, had other ideas.

"Wait, I'm still on the clock. Room five wants their bill, and room seven needs their tea served…"

Kato-san frowned. "I was told you weren't working here anymore."

"I wasn't, but…"

"In that case, you can surely take a break." And, to punctuate that statement, he took the tray she was holding and handed it to Setsuie. "Can we use your office, then, Fuwa-san?"

* * *

He didn't say much while they waited for their tea, other than to confirm that he was a lawyer and that, yes, he was indeed looking for her. He even quoted her full name, birth date and the name of the hospital she'd been born in, just to make sure she was convinced. Other than that, though, he was very careful to sidestep her question, especially when Setsuie-san came to serve them.

Which, in itself, was a pretty big deal. The okami performed tea ceremonies on request, yes, but running around like a common waitress? That was something unusual, and Kyoko could only think of two reasons why she did it: one, to debase herself, and thus make up for some transgression without letting anyone notice, or two, because she didn't want anyone to know Kato-san was here.

Both of which, of course, were ridiculous. Nonetheless, the lawyer didn't speak until after they were well and truly left alone.

"First of all, thank you for your patience, Mogami-san," he said. "I understand that this must be very confusing to you, and I will do my best to explain things to the best of my ability. Please forgive me if this has caused you any distress."

"That's alright," she said. "But… Kato-san, could you tell me what your relation to me is? I don't think I know you…"

"No, you wouldn't. Your mother only hired me after she entered the last stages of her illness, and I believe that at that time, you were already in the care of the Fuwas permanently."

Kyoko stared at him. There were so many questions she wanted to ask, but then her head was suddenly filled with the words mother and illness.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked, when she regained her ability to speak. Kato-san winced.

"You didn't know?" he asked, and his face darkened. "I'm very sorry. I knew there were things you weren't told, but I thought at least… I'm so sorry."

"What did you mean? What's wrong with my mother?" Kyoko asked, panic creeping into her voice.

Kato-san looked like he was wishing the earth would swallow him whole. Then, bowing his head, he said:

"She's dead, Mogami-san. She succumbed to an illness seven years ago."

And with that, Kato-san told her the story that her guardians had kept from her for all these years.

Mogami Shinobu had always dealt with high levels of stress, given her line of work as a businesswoman. However, it wasn't until she started suffering from chronic migraines that she went to see a doctor, who discovered a highly developed tumor in her frontal lobe. The tests showed it was nefarious. The operation prospects were not too pretty. So Shinobu dealt with the problem with her trademark efficiency – she arranged for her daughter to be looked after and went about settling her affairs.

Kyoko listened to that account with a mixture of horror and fascination, while her mind went back. She remembered her mother's bad temperament, how her mood would darken without reason, how she always sent Kyoko away because her childish antics gave her a headache. Even as a little girl, she knew that if her mother asked for the blinds to be drawn, things were bad and Kyoko was to remove herself from the premises as quietly as possible.

All of these little quirks never seemed out of place, given how openly Shinobu criticized and disapproved of her, but now they came back to Kyoko with a startling clarity. Were those early signs? Or just another manifestation of her mother's bad temper.

"I'm sorry I delivered those news to you like that," Kato-san said. "I really thought that your guardians had told you."

"No. They never said a word," Kyoko muttered, while wondering how she had been so stupid. Nobody abandoned their kid without at least leaving a way to get in touch. If the Fuwas had had a number for her mother, surely they would have known what had happened. "But I don't understand – why would they keep something like that from me."

The lawyer coughed. "I do not know what your guardians' motivations were, but their track record hasn't been that good, Mogami-san. And, unfortunately, there are quite a few things about your mother's passing that are important to you, and cannot be put off."

"Important things? Like what?" It seemed odd – after all, dead or not, the woman had clearly despised Kyoko. But Kato-san had other ideas.

"Well, first of all, prior to your mother's diagnosis, her health record was spotless, which is why she was given a considerable life insurance, in addition to the money she made in her line of work. You are, of course, beneficiary to all of that – your mother arranged for you to have access to a quarter of that money on your sixteenth birthday, another quarter is payable to you when you turn eighteen, and the rest – when you turn twenty-five, or if you get married, whichever comes first."

She blinked. "What do you mean by considerable?"

He told her.

She didn't believe him.

He repeated the sum again, slowly, and explained that yes, the decimal point really was before that number, and not another one. And then, to make things perfectly clear, he got a bank slip for her to look at.

She was stumped. "I never knew."

"I got the same impression," Kato-san said, dryly. "It's worth noting that I only found your going to Tokyo after I contacted your guardians about opening an account for you, a little before you were due to turn sixteen. Until that time, they received the allowance they were granted for looking after you, and never gave me an update about your new… living conditions."

Well… that made some sense. If the Fuwas needed the money…

"It's my fault," she said. "I never told them my new address. They only found my phone when they tried contacting their son."

"Be as it may, they lied, Mogami-san. You cannot take responsibility for that."

"They didn't mean it. They're nice people, Kato-san. Surely…"

The lawyer held up a hand to stop her.

"Mogami-san, I am neither condemning them, nor congratulating their deed," he said. "I am only telling you the facts, and their relation to what is going on here. I should also tell you that, in addition to setting aside an allowance for them, your mother bought a share in the Ryokan, in order to get your guardians out of a problematic financial situation. That share is managed by our firm, but you will be given control of it come your eighteenth birthday."

Kyoko opened her mouth, then closed it. Her head was brimming over with information that threatened to spill out. Nothing made sense – her mother, whom she had always considered as cold and cruel, had arranged for her live a safe, comfortable life. Her guardians, who she had remembered with a lot of fondness, had kept secrets from her. The next thing she knew, somebody would tell her that Sho actually wanted to marry her.

Then her thoughts came to a screeching halt.

"You said that I will receive my full inheritance if I marry," she said, slowly.

"If you marry before you turn twenty-five," Kato-san said.

She felt like she might be sick. Things came back to her even faster. Her training. The tea ceremony. The hints Setsuie-san had dropped about an eventual marriage with Shotarou.

"And my guardians knew about this?"

"They were informed of it before they took you in, according to what your mother said."

She closed her eyes. The world had gone very quiet. She recognized the feeling, that calm before the storm, and for once, she was ready for it.

"Thank you, Kato-san, for telling me this," she said, channeling every bit of Mio's refined manners. "And I apologize for causing so much trouble to you. I'm afraid that my work in Tokyo makes it impossible for me to stay for a longer period of time, but perhaps we can arrange for another meeting soon?"

"Of course," he said, taking out a business card and handing it over to her with a bow. "You are in your full right to pick someone closer to home to represent you, but we would be honored if you continued to use our company for the time being. Also, if you could give me a call with your bank details, I can arrange for you to access the portion of your inheritance which is rightfully yours."

"That is very considerate of you," she said.

"No, it's my pleasure. Your mother was a very respectable woman – perhaps not the most affectionate, but she was an admirable professional. I was about to write to a detective in Tokyo to seek you out, if you didn't turn up before your eighteenth anniversary."

Kyoko made no move to indicate her feelings about that particular bit of information, just nodded politely. "Thank you."

"And there's one last thing," Kato-san said. He removed a large envelope from his briefcase and handed it to her. "These are some of your documents, Mogami-san. Your mother thought it best to entrust us with them, but as you are almost of age, I believe they should be given to you. There is also a letter from your mother, which I was instructed to give to you on your sixteenth birthday."

She clenched her teeth. Finally, she bowed.

"Thank you. I shall contact you if I have any further questions."

He bowed in return. "Thank you again for your time. And, once more, I'm glad that you're healthy. I hope you have not encountered too much trouble in Tokyo."

"No trouble at all," she lied through her teeth. "I'm actually quite happy with my job."

"I see. And what is that, if I may ask?"

Kyoko smiled. "I'm an actress. I played Mio in _Dark Moon, _and I also have a role in _Box-R._"

Kato-san's eyes widened. "You know… I can easily see that."

* * *

When he was gone, Kyoko sat in the office for a long time, teacup in her hands. Her reflection was serene, but only because she put so much conscious effort into keeping her temper in check. Her first instinct was to go, grudges ablaze, and demand an explanation from the Fuwas, but she had learned from her previous experience that it wouldn't go well.

But what else could she do?

There were too many feelings, too many conflicted emotions, that she was paralyzed. She desperately needed to let some steam out, yet she had no idea whom to turn to.

And then she remembered that she had forgotten to call Tsuruga-san.

For a minute, she thought about dismissing him, but even in her depressed state, that wasn't an option. She thought about what might have happened in her absence, and with visions of blood and death on her mind, she dialed his number.

Nobody had died, but the tone of his voice and his hinting at problems had sealed the deal for her. When Setsuie ventured into the office, Kyoko was on her feet, gathering the papers Kato-san had left her.

"Kyoko-chan," Sho's mother began, but the younger woman cut her off.

"Fuwa-san, I'm sorry, it seems that I have to cut my visit short," Kyoko said, bowing curtly. "There's some trouble at work which requires my immediate return."

She was already calculating her route. Thankfully, most of the things were still packed – all she had to do was slip out of her uniform and throw something on. She could spring for a cab, and catch the three o'clock train. She could change into her Setsu gear in the bathroom.

Sho's mother followed her as she walked briskly to the living quarters.

"Kyoko-chan, please, let me explain," she said. Kyoko didn't think she had heard Sho's mother sound so desperate. Pausing at the threshold of her room, she turned and face the older woman head on.

"I will give you some advice, and I hope that you will take it – be persistent, when calling Sho. He will eventually pick up, and he will eventually listen. I wish I could help you, but I cannot stay."

"Why? Because of what that man said?"

"No. Right now, there is somebody else who needs me," Kyoko said, her eyes darkening. "And this time, it's really a matter of life and death."

Melodramatic? Yes. But it did get the job done. Thirty minutes later, she was on the train.

* * *

**A/N** And that's chapter seven. I should probably let you know, I completed Camp NaNo, though I wish I was happier with my WIP than I am. Also, next week, I might go offline for about ten days, so updates might not be very speedy. But I will do my best to give you as much of this story as possible, so there's that.

Thank you for all the reviews. Do you think we can have some more?


	8. Chapter 8

**Skip Beat! belongs to Nakamura-sensei. Perfect Fifths, and the rest of the Jessica Darling books belong to Megan McCafferty. Those of you who have read it, you will know which scene I lifted for this chapter. Those of you who don't... I hope it's incentive for you to pick up that series. :) **

**And yes, I believe wholeheartedly that this scene belongs here. Enjoy.**

* * *

There were a lot of things Kyoko loved about being an actress – not least of which was princess make-up – but if she had to pick one at that precise moment, it was how she could immerse herself into a role so deeply she would forget everything else.

With such thoughts in her head, she donned her Setsu gear in the bathroom. She imagined herself as a knight, putting on his suit of armor before riding into battle, and every piece of her disguise – clothes, wig, piercings – hid her vulnerable heart. It wasn't as good as the locks on her heart, but those things were flimsy – she needed some substitute, at least for now.

Yet, when she assessed herself in the bathroom mirror, she could already tell that there was a crack in her façade. Maybe it would heal when she saw her brother, but there was something stopping her from becoming Setsu fully. A small envelope, tucked into her pocket.

She returned to her seat. A few boys called after her, but she paid them no heed. She dropped her chin on her fist and looked out, her thoughts running in pace with the train.

Her mother was dead.

She remembered all the times her mother had made her cry, and decided that she wasn't ready about that particular retrospective.

She was rich.

Kyoko recalled the sum Kato-san had quoted to her, and tried imagining what she could do with it. The sheer amount of cosmetics she could now afford was overwhelming, but at the same time, she knew that she would never be able to use them up, even if she lived a hundred lifetimes. Perhaps she could give some to Moko-san, but her friend would kill her if she tried.

That thought was too horrible to bear, so she moved away from the topic.

The Fuwas had lied to her.

They'd lied to her.

The whole family had screwed her over, only it was a hundred time worse now. With Sho, she had known on some level that he was using her, but she had clung onto him because she'd thought, stupidly, that goodness paid off. His parents, though, had raised her like an obedient servant, so that when she married their son, they'd be able to use her money freely. They'd tried cheating her of something she didn't even know she possessed, and didn't even bother hiding how they used their love as leverage.

It hurt. It hurt so much.

Kyoko took a deep breath and thought about Tsuruga-san instead. No. About Cain Heel. Her brother, who she adored. Her brother, who had this tendency to get into fights, and then cuddle her throughout the night. She wondered if he wanted to do that. It wasn't something she minded, though at this moment, she was a little leery of people being affectionate with her.

_Stop it. It's different. He's your brother. He's your sempai. He's in love with someone else. His intentions are good._

But were they? Kyoko thought back, to that disastrous party where she'd let Kijima-san dress her, and then further on, to the Valentine's Day when Sho had all but molested her. Tsuruga-san had told to keep her actor's heart "pure", to reject the advances of other men, yet he had no qualms about hanging onto her like a piece of driftwood when it suited his purposes.

_But he really needs me. He is genuinely scared._

So what?

"So what?" she repeated out loud, causing some people nearby to scowl at her.

Tsuruga Ren was a man she greatly respected, but he definitely didn't act like he respected _her. _He was angry with her for things she had no control over, he kept secrets even when they affected her directly, and he told her how to act around men while he had no trouble using women to his advantage. The hypocrisy of the whole thing was so blatant, she couldn't understand why she hadn't noticed it before.

_This is the anger talking, _the fairies said. _He's not who you're angry at._

_Yeah, well… that didn't make him less of a hypocrite_, Kyoko thought. _And yet, what does that make me, if I run to him nonetheless?_

Everything was so complicated.

The train got to the outer limits of Tokyo, and she shifted a little in her seat. A rustle reminded her of her mother's letter, sitting like a bomb in her pocket. She reached out for it, tracing the edges carefully. Could she read it? Should she read it?

The station was coming up. There was no time. She rose and grabbed her bag, and darted for the exit as soon as the doors opened.

* * *

Ren stood in the waiting room in his full Cain Heel glory, feigning nonchalance and failing miserably. Kyoko's train was delayed, and he was getting antsy. What would be in character of him to do? Wait, or go look for her?

Then she breezed in and he relaxed. She was back. Everything was alright.

She walked up to him, until she was within his reach, and stopped. She didn't reach out to hug him, and he didn't do anything either, not knowing what was appropriate to do. Was he Cain or Ren? Was she Kyoko or Setsu?

"I'm back," she said, and threw her bag at him.

He caught it effortlessly, and then smiled.

"Welcome."

Once outside, they took the subway to the hotel. He kept sneaking glances at her, but her face betrayed nothing. Was this Setsu-like? Perhaps she would sulk but she seemed a little too pensive.

"So what happened in Kyoto?"

"I don't want to talk about it. What happened on the shoot?"

"I don't want to talk about it." He looked at the adverts flying across the screens. "Not yet, anyway," he said.

"Whatever," she said. "As long as you're fine."

He caught her eyes in the glass, and for a moment, he was struck by their intensity. There was definitely something there, but it wasn't her usual grumpy aura. Nor was it the particular brand of evil which she reserved for those times when he got particularly out of line with her. Her eyes were intense but… quizzical, rather than mad. Like she was trying to figure something out, but she was missing some vital information.

It annoyed him, too, because she still hadn't become Setsu, and he couldn't fully become Cain either. But he couldn't say it out loud, so he chose instead to treat her with stony silence, hoping that at some point, she would notice and do her job.

She did, and she didn't like it.

Kyoko had been working up the courage to speak to him, but she never really came up with a good conversation opener. The sheer… unbelievability of the scenario was too much to put into words, and combined with her earlier epiphany… well, it was too easy to stay quiet when he obviously didn't want to speak to her.

The only exchange they had, before going to the hotel, was on whether they needed to shop for something or not. (Ren wasn't hungry. Of course he wasn't.) Kyoko didn't object, but suspected that he hadn't set foot in the store since she left.

Those suspicions confirmed when, upon returning to the room, she checked out the kitchen area and found nothing but a jar of pickles and some apples.

"Really, you'll make yourself sick like this," she muttered under her nose, while examining the former. "Those things expired two days ago."

"I never ate those," he said, feeling surly. His resolution not to piss her off anymore was crumbling under the dual pressure of her silence and his own tension. "Really, there's no need to make a fuss when there's a perfectly good restaurant on every corner around here."

"You can't do that every night. It's expensive, and furthermore…"

"What?"

Kyoko blinked. The word expensive made a tiny pirouette around her head, and she blinked a few times to gather her thoughts back.

"It's not healthy," she said. "You don't know what they put in your meals."

"I think I can afford it," Ren said. The dismissiveness in his tone ticked her off.

"Well, it won't kill you to learn some simple things," Kyoko said, grabbing her jacket and turning on her heel. "Come on, let's go downstairs and get some ingredients. I'll show you some stuff you can make real fast."

Ren gave a long, tired sigh. The NG sign. It made her freeze up.

"What?" she asked, at length.

"Mogami-san, do you really think this is something Setsu would say to her brother?"

"No." Setsu would be absolutely thrilled to leave her brother clueless about basic kitchen operations because it made her indispensible. But she wasn't Setsu. "But she wouldn't want her brother asking another woman to do something that has only been her duty. And besides, Cain can't stay as some kind of floundering man child for the rest of his life – he has to learn some basics."

Ren's eyes widened, and she realized she had hit upon a nerve.

"I wouldn't think badly of anyone who isn't perfect at something," he said. "In fact, if Cain never learned to cook, it was probably because he never had the time to. Or, perhaps, it was because he was spoiled."

Kyoko squared her shoulders.

"Well, he can change that, can he?"

They stared each other off. Then Ren took his jacket off and turned his back to her.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"To take a shower," he said. "Call room service for our dinner. You can order whatever you like."

"But…"

"Setsu, I'm tired, and you just travelled a long distance. Neither of us is in a mood for cooking, and there's no need to misuse a service that was created for just this occasion."

And he retreated to the bathroom as fast as it was humanly possible without running.

* * *

Kyoko stared after him, feeling a mixture of anger and frustration, both towards him and herself. She had come all the way from Kyoto to help him, and ended up antagonizing him instead.

Well, it was his fault, wasn't it? She was only trying to teach him a useful skill. Sure, she may have been a little rude, but he was a grown man, for goodness' sake. He ought to have learned.

_Oh, Kyoko… it's not him you're angry at._

With a long, drawn out sigh, she sat down on her bed and ran her fingers through her wig, effectively removing it. It was no use trying to work – her head wasn't in the right place. It never would be, unless she did something about the thing that was bothering her.

_Just do it, _she thought, _rip it out like a band-aid._

She removed the letter from her pocket and turned it in her hands. It was in her mother's handwriting, with her name printed on the front, and the date of her sixteenth birthday underneath. Taking a deep breath, she unfolded it and started reading.

_Kyoko,_

_By the time you're reading this, you would have already learned everything. I imagine you have a lot of questions, but I haven't got much explanations to give, or apologies to offer. There are only so many things in life that we can help, and what has happened to me is not one of them. _

_You are sixteen now. You may leave school and start work, or even get married at that age. I hope you will not – education is very well worth it, and the money you have access to should enable you to get a very good one, if all else fails. _

_There is one aspect I should probably talk to you about. If you have seen your birth certificate, you will find the name of your father, as well as his contact information at the time of this writing. You will no doubt want to find him – I hope you will not. If there is one piece of advice I can offer you, it is to let this particular ghost rest. There were things about my life that I'm not proud of, and I know from experience that it's better sometimes to avoid things rather than face them head on._

_Be safe,_

_Your mother_

Her hands were shaking so bad that the signature blurred. Then she felt the tears on her face, and her breath caught, and suddenly she was bawling. Like a child scolded for the first time, like a baby's first cry into this world.

* * *

Ren stood under the spray of the shower, quietly beating his head against the tile. Why, why, why, why was he such an idiot? First that thing with Murasame, then antagonizing Kyoko. Couldn't he do anything right?

His watch was on the sink, mocking him quietly. He shut his eyes, but the image had imprinted on the back of his lids, making it impossible for him to distract himself.

Katsuki, Black Jack, Kyoko… he'd started these things in the hopes of becoming a better actor, yet he failed so epically at it. There was no way for him to keep a muzzle on Kuon, and in fact, things seemed to be getting worse, if he was unable to even have a conversation with the woman he loved without blowing up in her face.

Perhaps it was time to put an end to things. Perhaps he was never meant to face his mother and father proudly, without cameras or personas to hide behind.

It was too late anyway. He had less than two months.

A horrible scenario, yet this was his reality. He was failing, and there was no way for him to reach out for help.

Such were his thoughts, and he could have easily let the darkness consume him – after all, it was easy enough. It was like falling asleep in the snow – he could just close his eyes and never wake up. And then he heard it – loud and clear, even through the haze of his self-loathing and the walls surrounding him – a sobbing. It wasn't just a cry – it was a scream of torture. And it was coming from his room.

_Kyoko._

He stumbled out of the shower, not even bothering to turn it off, and rushed out of the bathroom to find her doubled over on the bed, arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to hold herself together, and bawling inconsolably.

The sight paralyzed him.

"Mogami-san… Kyoko…" he began, but she paid him no heed. She tried, a few times, to pull herself together, but then another sob tore through her and she was crying again.

Not knowing what to do, he knelt down and placed his arms on her shoulders. "Kyoko, are you alright? Are you hurt? Look at me, please."

"N… Not hurt…" she managed, but barely. Her whole body was shaking.

"What is it then? Are you sick?" A horrible thought occurred to him. "Is it because of what I said?"

She shook her head furiously. With a monumental effort, she met his eyes and said:

"My mother is dead. I learned it in Kyoto." The sheer effort it took her to keep her composure was heartbreaking. It took him a while to process what she had said.

And he felt like a monster.

"I am so sorry," he said. "Forgive me, I had no idea."

She wiped at her eyes, but it was in vain. The tears just kept coming along.

"I'm sorry," she said. "It's probably stupid, since we weren't so close…"

"Never say that." And then he did something he had only allowed himself twice – he reached out and wrapped his arms around her. She welcomed his embrace, burying her face in the crook of his neck and breathing deeply. "I'm so sorry. I should have never called you like that," he said.

She shook her head. "She's been dead for years. Cancer. But I just learned it, and… and the people who raised me… they lied to me. They never said a word." That proved to be too much for her, and she started crying all over again. This time, however, he was there to comfort her. When the sobs wracked her body, his arms steadied it, and little by little, she calmed down.

And, miracle of miracles, she didn't pull away as soon as that happened. For a while, they stood like that, on their knees, with him holding her and her letting him. For once, Ren's mind was completely on her. Carefully, like the smallest touch might spook her, he lifted one hand and caressed her hair.

"I'm sorry," he said, not knowing how to approach this. "I should have never spoken to you the way I did."

"You didn't know."

"That doesn't make it better." He turned a little so that he could look at her eyes. She lifted her head. "I'm sorry. What I said was out of line and cruel. I had no right to treat you like this, ever."

For a long moment, she stared at him. She nodded.

"Thank you, then, for admitting this."

Sighing, she let her head drop again. "Do you know what the really weird part is?"

"No. Tell me."

"I never thought I would want to see her again. I never fantasized about telling her off, like I did for you or Sho." Ren smiled at that. "I didn't want to revisit this part of my life, ever. But now that I can't… I feel bad. There's suddenly so many things I want to say, and the fact that I can't—" she blinked a few times to dispel the tears that threatened to flow again "—it's frustrating."

Ren nodded, distractedly. He was shocked, in a way, at the similarities between the two of them. Moreover, if his father hadn't come to Japan, it was likely that he would have learned of his own mother's illness in the same manner – told by strangers, maybe years after the fact, or worse, hearing it announced on television.

"I'm sorry," he said, for her sake as well as his own. It felt like his heart might break under the weight of this tragedy.

Kyoko nodded and sat back on her heels.

"Thank you," she said. "For listening to me and… everything. Thank you."

"That's what friends are for," he said. "We are friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah. Friends," she said, then smirked. "Although I don't think friends usually see so much of each other, do you?"

Ren blinked, not knowing what she was talking about. Then he looked down on himself, and winced.

Of course. He was stark naked.

* * *

**A/N Yes. I'm evil. I think that deserves some reviews, doesn't it? I'll try to update once more before I go offline, but if I don't, I think this is a nice image to end on. **


	9. Chapter 9

Ever the tactful lady, Kyoko went to the bathroom to turn off the shower, giving Ren some privacy. It made him feel immensely grateful, and a little bit ashamed – she'd been the one needing comfort, and once again she'd taken his feelings into consideration.

But, oddly enough, that didn't send him into a depressing spiral. If anything, it made him even more determined to finally change his ways.

She reemerged with his watching her hand.

"Here," she said. "You should really change its battery. It's been frozen like this ever since our first night here."

Was that a subtle hint for him? No. She seemed sincere.

Still, it was a good time for him to make good on his resolutions.

"It's meant to be like this," he said, wrapping the harness around his wrist.

"It's meant not to show time?"

"No. It's meant to remind me of something." He hesitated. "It's a really long story, and not really appropriate for the current moment. I… ah… I apologize for my state a while ago, once again. I really didn't think."

"That's fine," she said.

_She really has changed, _Ren thought, and it was true. It wasn't just how she held herself, although she seemed to wear Setsu's clothes like she owed them. It was her whole air – she seemed a lot more at ease in her skin, and calmer.

And then, most tellingly, she didn't get mad at him.

"Still, it was very unprofessional on my part," he said.

She smiled. "Now who's breaking character? Would Cain care for things like clothes, if he thought Setsu was in trouble?"

"No. I suppose not."

They laughed, and then silence descended. There was some tension left in the air, an anticipation of sorts, but for once, it was of the good kind.

The stare down was interrupted when someone knocked on the door.

"And that would be our dinner," he said, reaching for his wallet. "Why don't you get some plates out while I pay?"

She nodded, and complied. Just like that – no arguments over wasting money, no fretting over bothering other people. He couldn't tell if she was too tired for that, or if she genuinely didn't care.

Once she got a good whiff of what he had ordered, though, she immediately perked up.

"Are those egg hamburgers?" she asked. "It's my favorite."

"I know." He coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment. "I thought that, with everything going on, that I owed you a treat."

"You don't have to go so far," she said. "But thank you. That's really nice on your part."

Ren nodded and helped her serve. Eating on a tiny table was going to prove tricky, but it was worth it. He couldn't even remember when they had last shared a meal together. Which reminded him…

"About what you said earlier… you were right. About teaching Cain to cook a little. He might have been spoiled, but that doesn't mean that he cannot change. It was a good call, Kyoko."

She froze at the sound of her name, and stared at him. Realizing his slip, he tried to cover it up.

"I mean Setsu."

"That's fine. I don't think I have the strength to do much tonight," she said, while cutting her hamburger in pieces.

"Tomorrow, then. I have a feeling that we might have a lot of free time on our hands," he said. As much as he hated saying it, there were things that he had to clear up, and they couldn't wait.

Kyoko set her utensils down. "What happened today?"

Keeping things as factual as possible, Ren told her – about Murasame's antagonism, the drugs, the "surprise" police raid and his handling of the situation. He made sure to maintain a calm, reassuring air, like the detectives he so often played, but some of his frustration must have slipped through, because she frowned.

"But you're clean. Surely, the director cannot fire you then."

"Things are a lot more complicated than that," Ren said, sighing. "I wish this was the first time I've seen this, but it's not, and I just can't be optimistic."

"Why? If you didn't do it…"

"Scandals can sometimes make or break a production," he said. "If handled properly, they can add a little intrigue and even create a sort of urban legend around the movie. But this is what my character was doing already – Cain Heel is, essentially, so much like Black Jack it's as if he's being typecast. Too many scandals, though, and it's overkill.

"Yes, I'm clean. But the police take drug charges very seriously, and they will need to arrest someone soon. And I'm the most convenient scapegoat."

She was silent for a long time.

"Does the President know about this?" she asked.

"Yes. He sent me a message that he wants to see me in the morning."

"Then I'll come with you."

"You don't have to. Technically, you're on vacation until tomorrow afternoon."

"That doesn't matter," she said. "This is a very important project, and the President entrusted me to look after you. Whether or not I'm responsible for what happened, I am part of this and I need to be there, as your kouhai and your sister."

Ren opened his mouth to argue, then stopped. The truth was that he wanted her there. Having her nearby was calming, even if the conversation he was to have with the President was anything but. So he just bowed his head in thanks.

* * *

They finished their dinner in silence. Afterwards, he helped her wash the dishes and set the apartment in order while she went about her evening rituals, and trying to relax. He was sleeping alone tonight, there was no doubt about it, and given the day he had, his dreams were bound to be scary. He just hoped that he might make it through the night without scaring Kyoko senseless.

Then she emerged from the bathroom, wig in place, clad in pajamas. This time, it was easy for him to slip into character.

"When does Boss arrive?" she asked.

"Early. So it'll be good for you to go to sleep."

She nodded and snuck under her covers. Then, as he was contemplating his own empty bed, she scooted further inside until she was pressed against the wall, and then held her hand out to him. The expression on her face, defiant, yet vulnerable, was nearly his undoing, but not so much as for him to ignore the significance of the gesture.

Kyoko never initiated any of their closer encounters, not unless he was near catatonic. He thought he knew how much she changed, but it wasn't until that moment that he really started to realize it.

Taking her hand, he slipped under the duvet and rearranged himself so that there was a little space between them. Kyoko made no mention of it – she was out as soon as her head hit the pillow. But, five minutes later, she moved on her own volition, rolling over so that she lay across his chest.

He froze, hands out, torn between embracing her and keeping things chaste. Eventually, Kuon won over, and he let himself relax. She shifted a little, made a tiny sound of contentment, and smiled.

_I won't be getting a wink of sleep tonight, _he thought as his hand caressed her back. He marveled how it rose and fell in time with each breath, like it was the most amazing thing in the world. He could probably spend years just watching her, studying those simple things.

And, as the minutes ticked by, he felt just the tiniest bit jealous of her peace of mind. Even if she was becoming disillusioned with the world, she wasn't nearly as bitter or as jaded as him. He couldn't even remember a time when he was this innocent.

Then his thoughts went on his current situation, and he felt a pang deep within his heart. He hadn't lied to her when he said that things were really serious. He couldn't let things progress to the point of an official enquiry – it would come to light that Cain Heel was an act, that Tsuruga Ren was an act, and that would unearth ghosts that were too private to reveal to the public. But what could he do? It was already out of his hands.

_No. _He couldn't afford this defeatist line of thinking. Way too much was in stake for him to give up now.

But… if he was to keep fighting, he had to reveal more things to Kyoko. Secrets he hadn't even told Yashiro, or the President. Neither of his two closest friends knew the full extent of his self-loathing, nor the depth of the problem, but if he was to overcome it, he had to start sharing.

As if sensing his resolution, Kyoko tightened her grip on him and gave a little sigh. It was probably the only encouragement he was going to get, Ren thought before drifting off.

* * *

In the morning, he started making good on his resolution as soon as both of them were dressed. She was making coffee, perfectly in character, but immediately reverted when he spoke to her in Japanese.

"Mogami-san," he said, wincing a little at the formality of it, "I was wondering… about the meeting with the President… you really don't have to go there."

"I told you, I'm going," she said, firmly. "I keep to my promises, sempai."

"I know. I never said you wouldn't. However, it's going to be a very grueling conversation. You should know that."

"Sempai, look at me." He did. "Do you trust me?"

"It's not a matter of trust," he muttered.

"It is to me," she said. "I won't tell your secrets to anyone, I swear it. But that's all moot if you don't trust me."

Ren sighed. Of course, as usual, she completely disarmed him.

"I understand that. I'm sorry if I came off as presumptuous," he said. "However, if you're coming, there is something I must tell you first."

She set the coffee pot aside and sat down, giving him her full attention. He took a deep breath – what he was about to say demanded some serious navigating.

"I told you last night about the implications of… this situation. But I didn't tell you that this current role is of some personal significance for me. I think it's important for you to know this, both to understand my actions and to be prepared in the eventuality that… everything comes to light."

She nodded.

"You might have heard the President comment on my… limited acting range. He's right. I stayed away from antagonist roles, as well as projects with a heavy romantic angle. I had a very… problematic youth. I did a lot of things I'm not proud of, and those kinds of projects reminded me of those times.

"These events from my past have put me in odds with my family, and myself. My parents, though supportive, made it very difficult for me to move on, so I decided to distance myself from them. I… haven't been able to face them, properly, in five years. And recently… I was told that my mother was gravely ill."

Kyoko was leaning in, and one of her arms was reaching out to him, tentatively. He met her halfway, and she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"You might find it ironic," he said. "I can hardly believe it myself, but… last night, when you told me about what you discovered, I was struck at how similar we were, in this aspect."

"You mean she's…" The thought was too horrible to finish.

"She doesn't have a chance at recovery." There. He said it. The words dug into his heart like shrapnel. "And she was very anxious to see me. I still cannot forget the things I have done, but learning this has made me determined to face those problems, so that I can see my parents once more. This is what this project is about, and this is why it was so important to me."

She swallowed. "I'm so sorry."

"Thank you," he smiled. "Though there's little that can be done about it now, I wanted you to know that… your being here has helped me. If it hadn't been for you, I might have given up. Or worse."

"It's not over yet," she said, determined. "You can still do something."

"I don't know if there's anything left."

"I do. There is. There has to be."

How naïve. And yet, just seeing her determination made him feel like his heart had grown three sizes. Just then, his phone chirped, announcing the President's arrival. Kyoko looked down on it.

"Well," she said, "I guess we might as well go."

Ren stood up, and, in a fit of spontaneity, pulled her closer and enveloped her in a hug.

"Thank you," he said. "For listening and… everything."

She didn't answer. If he had looked down, he would have seen her blushing like a tomato.

* * *

Lori's instructions were brief and to the point – Ren was not to engage with Murasame in any way, or attempt anything to aid the police investigation. As Cain Heel was not to leave the city, Ren would have to stay in disguise until the end of the official enquiry. The PR office had already fabricated a cover story that got Ren Tsuruga out of the country on business, and Yashiro was on his way to a flight with a stunt-double, in case anyone was keeping tabs on Japan's top actor.

The President offered Kyoko the option of taking on her usual duties, but she refused. Box R had stopped shooting for now, and there weren't any pressing projects that needed her attention. Reorganizing her schedule was easier than Ren's.

If the Lori thought anything unusual about her change of heart, or her early arrival for that matter, he didn't say anything. Instead, he thanked her for all her hard work, and ordered the two of them to act as inconspicuous as possible.

"Right now, the whole thing hinges on whether the police believe you or not," he said. "Don't do anything that might damage your credibility."

He didn't say that the likelihood of the police believing him was small to begin with – all three of them knew that. But while Ren met the instructions with resignation, and the President faced the incoming days with a grim sort of acceptance, Kyoko was already planning things in her head.

Her sempai was innocent. And even if he couldn't personally interfere in the police investigation, that didn't mean someone else couldn't lend them a hand. Somebody who just happened to have the contacts and the means to discover the truth.

In her jacket pocket, her hand tightened around Kato-san's business card.

* * *

**A/N Well, I have to say, I'm rather proud of those last few updates. But, alas, I'm going offline now, and as an added bonus, I might not be able to get books with me. Nearly two weeks without books! T.T **

**Quite a few of the reviews for the last chapter seemed to think it was OOC of Kyoko to react the way she did to Ren's... deshabille. I have a slightly different way of seeing things, though. First of all, she has already seen him starkers twice in the manga, and each time she got braver (and don't tell me she didn't that second time. That foam covered NOTHING!) I think that seeing him like this has a significance, in that she's maturing and being able to look at him in this state shows that she can focus on other things than the obvious. **

**Also, she has been slipping in and out of Setsu's character a lot in this fic, so I think to an extent she was channeling that persona when she made her quip. Of course, deep down she's embarrassed, but I think she also had more important things on her mind.**

**Anyway, time for me to go. If any of you want your fanfic fix until I am back online, I highly recommend "Until You Love Me" by Vortex82, which is a powerful, exciting take and one that literally had me howling with laughter. **


	10. Chapter 10

The next three days were fine, or as fine as they could be when two people pretended to be baka-siblings, and one of them was being investigated for possession.

Ren, for his part, enjoyed the anonymity as much as he could. There were benefits to the situation, obviously, like taking the girl he loved to a restaurant or shopping, but they tended to gather just a little too much attention. Most of the time going out was nerve-wracking, so they ended up staying in rather than going out.

As it turned out, those were the best times.

They would get groceries, then Kyoko would show him how to make a simple dish. On the next meal, it was his turn to try and cook. It actually wasn't that bad, if he could ask her about any of the tricky bits. Then they would settle with a movie or three, alternating between running a commentary and being struck speechless by some of the scenes. And, of course, there was that one time when he tricked her into seeing a horror movie, and she spent the rest of the night lashing out whenever he spooked her.

And, perhaps the most significant change of all, once they had completed their evening rituals, they would get in one of the beds and curl up together. Neither tried to fight it anymore – they had separated the first night, but, after being unable to sleep, Kyoko had simply migrated, pillow in hand, to Ren's waiting arms. In the morning, they acted as if waking up together was nothing out of the ordinary, and then just kept up the arrangement, quietly accepting that it was the only way to keep the nightmares at bay.

That wasn't to say that Kyoko didn't think about it – on the contrary, her mind was all too happy to jump down that road whenever she had a free moment.

Oddly enough, something that would have sent her into a downright existential crisis once had lost its teeth. Perhaps it was her determination to help her sempai in any way she could, perhaps it was her mind being filled with bigger problems, but she could no longer make a big deal of something that was, essentially, offering comfort to another human being. There was nothing shameful in it, and if someone thought differently, then that didn't concern her.

Except… there was one little thing.

There were times… and she was almost sure she imagined it, but she did catch Ren looking at her with that gentle gaze of his that tended to turn her insides to jelly. The expression bothered her, because it had nothing to do with Cain Heel – that was all him, and she knew it. But why would he do that?

The only explanation was that he was thinking about this other girl – the schoolgirl he was besotted with, and whom he could not make a move on because of his crippling self-loathing. His dilemma made her heart bleed – not just for him, but for herself.

Because if he was truly thinking about this girl, it was very likely that he was using her, Kyoko, as a stand-in.

And it hurt. That last lock on her heart was hanging by a thread, and she could barely muster the energy to reinforce those walls she built so long ago. The heartache of rejection was inevitable – so much so that she could already feel the wound opening.

She couldn't stop the tragedy from happening, she couldn't turn away. The only thing left was to just floor it and get it over with as fast as possible.

Which was why, early on Monday, she was up making breakfast and practicing her lines under her breath.

"Good morning, sempai, I hope you slept well… no, that's not right. Good morning, Nii-san…. No… Hey, Ren-sempai…"

"I like the last one," he said, making her yelp and whirl around, knocking a pot in the process. Once both had apologized and he helped her clean up, he went on, "You know, it's odd. We've been spending so much time together, yet when we're not in character we refer to each other by surname."

Yes, Kyoko thought, they were "friends", after all. In fact, they were more than friends, given that she spilled her guts to him at every occasion, and that she'd seen him in a… well, in less than it was publically acceptable.

"People don't know that, though," she said. "They would surely jump to conclusions."

Ren winced. "Yes. And we don't want that to happen."

"Misunderstandings can be tricky to manage. Which is why… Um, sempai, I need to talk to you about something."

He raised an eyebrow. "On one condition."

"What is it?"

"You start calling me by my given name… in private, of course."

"Alright. Sempai…"

"Ren."

"Ren-sempai, this is really important and I would really appreciate it if you didn't interrupt me." He raised his hands in surrender and sat down. "It's about this investigation. You know… and the President told us… that there's nothing we can do but wait. Is that right?"

"Unfortunately."

She took a deep breath. "What if I told you there was something that could be done?"

Ren narrowed his eyes. His first instinct, of course, was to say he'd take it, no questions asked. But the way she asked him made him pause.

"I don't want to inconvenience you in any way," he said. "And you shouldn't get involved directly into this."

She smiled humorlessly. "It's a little too late for that, don't you think? If Cain Heel goes under a serious police check, then so would Setsuka."

Humbled, he nodded. Kyoko went on:

"There might be something that we could do. Not to influence the investigation directly, but it might help." She wasn't sure she had understood completely what Kato-san had told her, but so far, the lawyer had been nothing but correct, so she chose to accept what he said and hope for the best.

And speaking of…

"I don't understand," Ren was saying. "Kyoko, I understand your motivation to help clear Cain's name, but the way things are right now, you can still get out unscathed. You never perpetuated any crimes, and as for the drug charges, you can deny them easily. But if the police realize you tried helping me, they can assume you knew from the start, and then they will slap you with a charge for enabling faster than you can blink."

"I know that," she said. Oddly enough, saying it calmed her down. "I understand what the dangers are. But what if the police learn I'm here without permission from my guardians? Right now, I'm just as interested in saving Setsu as you are in Cain."

Ren sighed. "I understand. I just… I wish there was a way I could take this fall by myself, without dragging you along."

"You can't," she said, firmly. "You might as well get used to it."

That brought a smile on his face. A small one, but still a smile. It encouraged her for what she was about to say next.

"There is something we can do, but we have to act fast. Today, if possible. And… you need to trust me."

* * *

Takarada Lori was in a sour mood, and even the costumes couldn't make things better. How could they? There was no "Breaking-bad-news-to-your-best-friend" suit, was there?

He'd waited for three days, barely restraining himself from crowing with annoyance. Of course, Ren's secret identity prevented him from directly enquiring, but Konoe had kept him posted about the police investigation, and his updates were less than promising. From what he could gather, the only thing slower than Tokyo's finest on this case was a snail.

A snail in a desert.

A snail in a desert who had lost about half his length and now moved around in a wheelchair.

Basically, things were in the shits.

He didn't relish what he was about to do, but Kuu had to learn sooner or later, and even if sooner was not better than later, it would be slightly less horrible if it came from someone he knew.

"He WHAT?"

Lori winced. "Thank you, Kuu, I really didn't need that eardrum. You heard me – someone framed him for possession."

On the other side of the world, Hizuri Kuu let out a stream of curses… quietly. After making sure he hadn't woken his wife, he hurried to the other side of the house. "How's the investigation going?"

"How do you think?"

"Slower than the public transport on a rainy day?"

"Exactly."

"Damn it. This is going to kill Julie." Kuu rested his head against the wall. "How's he handling things?"

"Pretty well, all things considered. He didn't beat up the guy who he thought was responsible, even though he would have been fully justified in doing so."

"If I was there, I would not only let him do it, I'd hold his coat for him," Kuu said.

"Don't go changing his mind. The girl's with him, so she's been keeping him sane."

"How is she?"

"Pretty much kicking ass as a bully, and then kicking his ass when he wallows. I saw them on Friday – he looked more serious than ever, if that's even possible. She grounds him, Kuu."

The younger man sighed. "This is all my fault, Boss. If I hadn't been so focused on my career… if only we had more time to spend with him… we would have seen it. We would have prevented it."

"No use crying over spilled milk, Kuu," Lori said, while looking out at the Tokyo skyline. "Believe me, I know that better than anyone."

"I know. I just… nevermind. I'll do my best to spare Julie, but… Boss, we have to prepare for the worst. If he's under investigation, he may not be able to travel here, and…"

"I know. I know. I'm sorry." Takarada hesitated. "Look, Kuu… don't blame yourself. Or at least try not to heap too much of it on your shoulders. All of us had a role to play in this."

There was a long pause. Then the other actor said, "Alright," and hung up.

Takarada sighed and put the phone down. As he did so, his eyes slid over the pictures on his desk – Kouki, his wife, and Maria, he and his wife, a snapshot of Kuu and Julie before Ren was born… there used to be more, but he couldn't bear to have all of them up. Those smiles that once warmed his heart and got him through the worst of days were accusing him now.

So many mistakes… if he started counting them now, how many sins would he find? Enough to guarantee that he was reborn as a dung beetle in the next life, that was for sure.

Parents and children… it was so ironic that he of all people would be insisting on Ren to go back to see his parents when Takarada and his son hadn't been able to speak to each other for a full ten years after his wife's death.

And _that _was definitely Lori's fault.

The intercom buzzed, and the secretary told him his ten o'clock meeting was here. Takarada pulled himself together. There was no time for this. He had a company to run. Trips down to "What If" land weren't going to make things better.

* * *

Asakura Yoshi was used to working for weirdos. Rich people tended to be like that, and his friend Kato only had rich customers. Rich, bored customers who either needed proof to get a big allowance from a cheating spouse, or to have said proof destroyed. His life was pretty much spent staking out in front of cheap motels.

So he wasn't that surprised when a punk-rock princess and her boyfriend approached him in the park. Kato hadn't described Setsuka Heel as anything other than "intense", and the girl fit that to a T. She and her cohort barely said a word until he led them to his van. Once there, she explained the situation to him in more detail.

"So you're saying your brother was framed, but the police are dragging their feet?" Yoshi summarized. "Are you sure about that?"

Then man spoke for the first time. "I'm clean."

He didn't look it, but it wasn't his job to ask. "Alright. Well… I told Kato what I can do. I can't promise it will work, but it's the only thing we can do in order to offer the police a lead without making it seem too… on the nose. How much did he tell you about this?"

"He said the police make background checks on everyone involved in a case," Setsuka said. "And that they investigate those who seem suspicious, even if the cases seem unrelated. He also said that if an investigation was run on Murasame, the police would question him a little bit more about my brother's case."

"Precisely. Now, you mentioned that he was a gangster when he was young, but the problem is that all of his crimes were committed before he was seventeen. Upon completing his time in juvie, those records were sealed away and his public record was wiped. That's standard procedure," Kato said, slowly. "So far, he's kept himself out of the fire. However, you mentioned he was… a little inappropriate with you once?"

She pursed her lips. "I wouldn't call it that, but he was definitely hostile."

"A sexual harassment investigation would be more than enough. Trouble is, those cases are very hard to prove, and without proof, the case might not even be considered. Does that make sense?"

She nodded. "So we need proof."

"Exactly. This is where I come in."

* * *

Yoshi dropped Setsuka off a block away from the studios, then parked the van directly behind the building. The mike he'd hooked under her jacket was pretty good, but it was better to stay as close to her as possible in case something went wrong and they had to use a back-up device.

Her brother hadn't said a word.

Keeping a year out to know when to start the recording, Yoshi decided to chat him up.

"So why does this Murasame guy have it out for you?"

"I don't know."

Helpful.

"Could it be that you provoked him in some way?"

"I told him to stay away from my sister."

Yoshi glanced at him again, raising an eyebrow. His sister… yeah, the first time he'd heard it, he hadn't believed it. He still didn't. The way those two held themselves, the way they interacted… it was weird. He imagined him acting like that with one of his sisters, and shuddered in disgust. Absolutely not.

"Short fuse, huh?" He didn't know whom he said this about. Both men seemed to fit the bill.

Just then, he heard Setsuka's voice, and another man's. Given how Cain tensed up, Yoshi guessed it was Murasame.

"…doing here?"

"I came to pick up the revised script," Setsuka said.

"You're awfully confident. What makes you think your brother's coming back here at all?" The man sounded cocky. Yoshi imagined him as good-looking, probably like some teen idol. He knew the type – the self-assured little asswipes who thought they were above and beyond everyone. He hated them more than the rich cuckolds he worked for – at least the cuckolds knew they sucked and didn't try to hide it.

"He's coming back," Setsuka said simply.

"Hey, wait a minute. Wait, I said. Don't pretend like you can just ignore me."

Silence, as if Setsuka was saying "Why not?"

"Your brother's a criminal. I know it's tough to hear, but you might as well get used to it right now. If you're smart, you'll stop defending him and try putting some distance between the two of you."

More silence. Yoshi winced – haughty looks were very expressive, but they didn't translate well on a voice-recording. She had to start talking, stat.

Luckily, she did.

"And by putting some distance, I imagine you mean closer to you?" she said.

"Why not? I can show you some good times."

"You wish."

A sound made Yoshi look up. Cain was leaning closer, listening to what she was saying. He was smiling, almost as if saying "That's my girl". Creep.

Meanwhile, Murasame was getting fired up.

"Are you denying it? He's a criminal. A freak. How do you justify something like that?"

"He's my brother. I know him better than anyone. He's not the criminal the police are looking for."

"Oh yeah? Were you temporary blind the other week? Did you not see what he did in the studio?"

"From what I heard, half of it was your doing. And those men were stupid to get mixed up in something which is not even their fight."

Murasame sputtered. "You're insane. Both of you are."

"Is that why you hate us? Because we're not like you?"

"I don't hate you specifically. But your brother is evil. He has to be stopped, and the police will do good to put him behind bars, once and for all."

Yoshi sat up straighter. Things were escalating. He could feel it. Setsuka could too, because the next thing she said was spot on.

"Even if he didn't do anything? Even if he hadn't smuggled those drugs in?"

"Even then."

There was a long silence. Then she said:

"You're sick."

Murasame laughed. From the corner of his eye, Yoshi saw Ren tense.

"Well isn't that just the pot calling the kettle black. If you think that the world's all rainbows and fairness, you're very wrong, little girl. Whatever happens to your brother, he did it himself. You should really find someone else to hang out with. What do you say? My offer still stands."

"Not interested."

"I can persuade you otherwise."

Yoshi's eyes widened. He wished he'd given her some kind of a two-way transmitter. They had what they needed, she had to get out. Hell, the sound of voices would have been enough to discourage that guy from doing anything funny. But she hadn't moved.

Next to him, Cain heel was gripping the chair, like he could barely restrain himself from bolting.

There was a sharp intake of breath from Setsuka's end, and then her voice, strained.

"Let go of me."

"I don't think so. You think you can just walk around dressed like that? It's high time you learned a few things about life, princess."

Cain was on his feet, when the next sound came. A loud "thack", followed by a kind of weird sound, like a mouse that's been stepped on. When Setsuka's voice came next, it sent shivers down Yoshi's spine.

"Don't. Ever. Touch me. You hear?"

Murasame only groaned in pain. The next sound was of Setsuka walking away, fast. Five minutes later, she slipped inside of the van, breathing deep.

"Did you get it?" she asked. Her face was red.

Yoshi nodded. Besides him, Cain Heel was wearing an expression that was equal parts shock, excitement and admiration.

For his sister.

_Sickos_, Yoshi thought, _the whole lot of them_. He really needed to think about retirement.

* * *

**A/N: So, newest chappie. Sorry it took longer than expected - like I said, I've been offline for a while, and then I've been a little under the weather. But, I'm happy to say, this story is growing. And growing. It has quite a lot of plot potential, which can be good or bad.**


	11. Chapter 11

Lori was not happy.

"What part of "stay out of it" did you not understand?" he demanded. The tone of his voice, loud and stressed out, was more surprising than his actual words. Ren had known the man almost all of his life, and yet he had never seen him truly angry.

Not that he was seeing him now, either.

Record's still unbroken then…

"This situation is beyond delicate! With your record, they can lock you away without a second's notice, and your brilliant solution is what, exactly? Putting Kyoko in a situation where she could lose more than you can imagine."

Ren didn't reply, because the President was right. What he and Kyoko had done was dangerous beyond belief, and not just for their careers. He deserved all the reprimand he got – if he had been more insistent, they wouldn't have gone through with the plan.

And yet…

And yet, at the time, it hadn't seemed so crazy. In fact, it seemed like the only way out of a life-and-death peril.

Kyoko tugged at his sleeve and motioned for him to hand over the phone. He had no doubt she could read his thoughts by the expression he was making – the shame and guilt were written as clearly as they would have been if he'd carved them in.

"President," she said, and the static from the other side quieted down immediately. "This is Mogami speaking. I'm sorry I interrupted your conversation with Tsuruga-san, but I feel I'm be the one you should be addressing."

Takarada said something, to which she replied:

"No, that's incorrect. Tsuruga-san didn't know about the plan until this morning. I organized everything on my own initiative and expense, and I take full responsibility. I realize the risks I took today, and I thought them necessary in order to protect the roles of Cain and Setsu."

More chatter. She turned the phone over in her hand and pressed the speaker button. "We can both hear you now, sir," she said.

"Good. Ren, did you hear what she said to me?"

"Yes, sir." He was glad to hear that the anger was gone from Takarada's voice. However, the tension persisted.

"Did you negotiate some confidentiality agreement with the man? Does he know your identities?"

"No, sir. He already knew Kyoko as Setsuka."

"How did that happen? Did you hire him on your own?"

"No, sir," Kyoko said. "I asked a… lawyer, Kato-san, to arrange things for me. He knows my identity, but he agreed that working under a pseudonym is best. He's very discreet, and has arranged things very well. I have no complaint from him."

The President hummed, but Ren threw Kyoko a suspicious look. Not because of what she had said, but because of how she said it. Her answers came readily, they were clear, concise, and absolutely satisfying. Almost as if she had practiced them.

"And you think that this detective can tip the scales in your favor?" Takarada went on.

"If not him, then the recording definitely will," Ren said. He couldn't imagine the police ignoring something as clear as that. "I hope that director Konoe will contact us soon to tell us that the filming is back on schedule."

The President grunted.

"Fine, then," he said. "If all goes well, we should all consider ourselves very lucky. Make no mistake – you two could still blow your cover, so you need to be extra vigilant. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Mogami-san, can you put me off speaker phone, please? I need to have a word with Ren in private."

She frowned the tiniest of frowns, like a fracture in a wine glass, but did as she was told, and then went into the bedroom to give Ren a modicum of privacy.

"Yes?" he asked, still looking after her. Perhaps, once this was over, he could talk to her. He wasn't sure what about, but her silence bothered him.

"You need to call your father."

That made him tense up immediately.

"Has anything happened?"

"No. But… I told him what happened with Murasame and he was worried."

"I can't imagine why." Ren sighed and closed his eyes, imagining how that conversation might go. "I'm surprised he hasn't taken the first plane here."

"If you don't call him, he might as well do it, along with your mother. Both of them worry, Ren. You can't expect me not to tell them something like that."

"I know. I understand." He took a deep breath. "Thank you. I wouldn't have them hear it from anyone other than you."

"They'd be much happier if you called them to say how things are." There was a snap from the other end of the line, and then the sound of someone blowing cigar smoke. "How did Kyoko pay for that detective? Really?"

"She got this lawyer to do things for her."

"I didn't know she had one."

"She didn't know either. He sought her out in Kyoto. Apparently, her mother made provisions for her, but her guardians didn't give this Kato-san her knew address."

"Provisions? What happened?"

"She died," Ren said quietly. "Eight years ago. Kyoko didn't know. She was very shaken up about it."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. When Takarada spoke next, his voice was weird. "And how is she doing now?"

"I honestly have no idea."

"Alright, listen here," Takarada said, "She went through an ordeal today, it's very likely she's upset, or might go into shock. Don't do anything to upset her."

"What kind of an insensitive jerk do you take me for?"

"The kind that doesn't know what he's done until it's too late. I'll see you tomorrow." And with that, he hung up.

Ren glared at the phone, then wandered into the bedroom. Given how small the flat was, he wouldn't have been surprised if Kyoko had heard every second of the phone conversation, but if she had, she made no mention of it.

In fact, she barely acknowledged him.

Ren took that opportunity to study her more carefully. She was sitting on a chair by the window, looking out to the city, legs crossed, cheek resting on her fist. It was a pose of casual nonchalance… for Setsu. The way she stood, the way she behaved, it was all perfectly normal for her character, but unthinkable for someone like Kyoko. Even with her recent progress, it was strange that she wouldn't immediately notice him, strange that she wouldn't show some interest in what the President had said, or exhibit some nervousness about listening in.

Slowly, he approached her, and gently touched her shoulder. "Kyoko?"

She started. "Oh… sempai… I'm sorry, I… spaced out."

"That's alright, I wasn't calling you." He noticed how she edged away a little, so that he might not touch her. Her face was very pale. "How are you feeling?"

"Who, me? Oh, I'm fine, I'm fine." Yet she sounded everything but. "Would you like to start on lunch? We're having miso soup today. I thought we could both use something lighter, so I got tofu and soba noodles and…"

"Nori. I saw. You don't seem very hungry, though."

"Oh, well…" She hesitated. "I guess not. Maybe I'm still a little nervous."

His heart clenched. Of course she was nervous. Why wouldn't she be? Murasame had attacked her. He could still remember how his whole body had tensed back there in the van. Even through the microphone, the threat in the other actor's words had been palatable. He had almost blown the cover too, thrown the whole operation to the wind and charged in the studio to her rescue, but her plea for him to trust her had held him for the few seconds it had taken her to hit Murasame and run.

What had it been like for her? He could only guess.

"Tell you what," he said, forcing as much lightness in his voice as possible, "Why don't you go and relax a little? Take a shower, or a bath. We don't have anywhere to go, and dinner can wait a little bit."

"Oh, no, I couldn't possibly… There's so much to be done."

"Really? Like what?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it. After some consideration, she murmured, "I still need to make dinner."

"I think that, given how well you've been teaching me these last few days, I can manage to make the soup," he said, smiling. "I even promise not to add any seasonings in case you worry about me repeating the Maui rice incident."

She chuckled. "Do you think they have miso on Maui?"

"They could import it," Ren said, giving her his best smile. "Come on. I'll draw you a bath."

"That's alright, I can do this myself." She hesitated. "If you need any help, just knock, okay? I don't think Cain would need to burst in on his sister showering."

"No. He wouldn't dream of it."

"Alright then. Sempai… thank you."

Ren nodded, relieved. Perhaps she would feel better once she warmed up. Maybe then they could talk. Now that his role was possible again, he could resume the countdown until the time when he could see his parents again. He had a few things he needed to tell her, a few things that were very important…

But first he had miso soup to make. He glanced at the products they had laid out on the table, and felt the tiniest frisson of panic. Where would he start?

* * *

Kyoko sank into the water, letting it lap at her skin and warm her up. Steam rose around her. It was almost as if she was in an onsen.

Unfortunately, that immediately reminded her of the last time she'd been to a hot spring, and what had happened afterward. Stupid Beagle, stupid Sho, stupid idiots who couldn't settle their own fights and had to drag girls into them! They ruined everything for her.

Kyoko took a deep breath and reminded herself of her surroundings. She was not in an onsen, she was in a hotel bathroom. She wasn't alone and unprotected, her sempai was in the other room, ready to act at every moment. There was nothing to be afraid of. Nothing at all.

So why was she still feeling tense?

She held a hand up in front of her eyes – it was almost like she had tunnel vision. She could only see things in front of her. That was why it had taken her so long to notice Ren, when he was lurking in the background. Even in the bitter cold outside, she had been sweating like a pig, and every so often, she'd had this unbelievable urge to do something – get up, walk up and down a flight of stairs, go for a run. She couldn't understand any of it.

_Yes, actually, you can._

Kyoko closed her eyes, acceptance sweeping over her. Yes. Of course she could. She knew exactly what this was. She had experienced it already, with Reino.

Thoughts of the beagle made her angry, as usual, but she forced herself to look past her personal hatred of the man and focus on her experiences. She remembered what it had been like, to be stalked. She remembered the way her body would tense, like it was getting ready to run, how she had actually ran when she'd learned he was in the building. How she had hated herself for being so freaked out. How she'd freaked out even more when her worst fears confirmed.

It was that fear he'd been feeding on, and it was the same thing she was experiencing with Murasame, even now, after it was over. When the actor had seized her today, she had frozen momentarily – it was like she was back in the forest, with Reino. It was Reino's hands holding her. Reino opening her dress.

It was just for a moment, and then she went from numb to a state of apoplectic fury in a matter of heartbeats. With a vindictive smile, she remembered the face Murasame had made when she kneed him in the groin. She didn't even worry he might press charges – it was self-defense and nobody could tell her otherwise.

She came out on top. She got what she wanted, and even more. So why didn't she feel like it?

Kyoko shivered, and realized the water had grown cold. Hastily, she unplugged the tub and reached for the nozzle. How long had she been standing there, woolgathering, when Tsuruga Ren was cooking?

* * *

The tofu had turned to mush, the noodles were undercooked, and no matter how hard he stirred the pot, the miso paste wouldn't disintegrate properly. Ren had all but decided to dump the thing and order room service, when Kyoko emerged from the bathroom, and she wouldn't let him touch a thing.

She explained that the miso is meant to be disintegrated before he poured it into the pot, and that the tofu was added last, but that it was unlikely to cause them food poisoning like he feared. In spite of his doubts, she not only finished her bowl, but also asked for seconds. When she finished eating, she kept her hands on the bowl, as if she was trying to keep them warm.

"That was delicious, thank you," she said, without a trace of forced compliment.

"Well, that's comforting," Ren said. To him, the noodles had tasted like cardboard, but then again, he wasn't very hungry. "What do you think, can you teach me to look after myself?"

"Probably, though I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry to do it."

"Oh? How so?"

"Because if I did, you wouldn't need me anymore," she said, then, realizing her slip, blushed as red as a tomato. "That is… ugh… I mean…"

Ren, who barely stopped himself from breaking into a goofy grin, decided to rescue her.

"Well, my methods tonight were pretty atrocious. I'd say I have a long way to go." Then he stood up. "I'll do the dishes."

"No, that's no need," she said, standing up. "You cooked, it's my turn to do something. Please."

She looked so desperate, he accepted, but then took a towel and stood next to her, appointing himself as the official dryer. For a while, they worked in silence.

"Did the President scold you very badly?" she asked, at length. "You know, after we both talked to him."

"No. He wanted me to call my parents and give them an update myself. They've been pretty frantic."

"Oh." She got one of her faraway looks. "That's right. After the filming is done, you'll go see them."

"That's the plan." From the corner of his eye, he noticed how she hesitated, before reaching for the dirty pot.

"Sempai," she said, "Can I ask… are you planning on coming back to Japan, after?"

Ren turned around and looked at her, but she was too busy scrubbing the pot to look up. Or maybe she was making herself appear busy. Either way, she wasn't meeting his eye.

He thought about it. Was he returning? His first answer would have been a resounding yes, but… was he? He'd been so focused on his role as Cain Heel, so intent on keeping a harness on Kuon and not making a mess of things, that he had completely overlooked what was coming afterwards.

Yet, others had. Yashiro didn't know the whole story, but the President must have given him some inkling because his manager had pretty much cleared his schedule. As soon as the Black Jack part was over, Ren had no outstanding engagements – no movies, no series, no interviews, TV or magazine, no photo shoots. Not just for the month that followed, but indefinitely. As if Yashiro himself worried that he might not come back.

Ren wanted to return. Japan, a country he'd thought of as small, cold and inhospitable, had given him more than he could possibly repay it for. He'd made some incredible friends and he'd fallen in love.

And… if he were to spiral into depression, like he had after Rick, it was more likely that he would recover in Japan, with Kyoko by his side.

But how long could he use the "I-can-not-look-after-myself" excuse on her? Not much. Then he'd have to tell her how he felt, and probably suffer a soul-crushing rejection. Perhaps a lengthy stay in America was not so impossible.

Innerved by his silence, Kyoko spoke up.

"You must miss them."

"More than you can imagine," he said, distractedly.

"Well, you'll see them soon enough. To be completely honest, I'm a little jealous of you."

"How so?"

"At least you'll get to see them."

Ren lowered his eyes. "Yes. Yes, I will. But it's not like it'll be a very happy reunion." Not wanting to dwell on that, he changed the subject. "You should be okay. You'll finally get to see your friends. It feels like I've been monopolizing you all this time."

She shrugged. "It's not that bad. And I… I'd rather be with you right now."

Next to her, Ren reminded himself not to get his hopes up. "Why?" he asked.

"Just… stuff." She rinsed the pot and made to hand it over to him, when he said:

"Does it have something to do with Murasame?"

_Crash._

The pot fell from her hand and landed on the floor with a deafening crash. Ren put the towel aside and stepped towards her. Ignoring her babbled apologies, he got her by the shoulders and made her look at him.

"Kyoko," he said, and the timbre of his voice made her freeze. "It's okay. It's over. I won't let you be alone with him, ever."

"It's… not that," she said, but her eyes filled with tears and she shivered. "It's just… he made me think of… Karuizawa."

Instead of responding, he took her in his arms and let her sob in his shirt. It was that… immediate support, that willingness to offer comfort that did her in. She embraced him and breathed in his scent, soap and sweat and tobacco. For the first time, she felt safe, and her body relaxed.

"I'm sorry," he said, stroking her hair. "You didn't have to go through that. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"Yes, I do. When I heard him… when I heard what he said, I wanted, more than anything, to pound his face in, but I wanted to make good on my promise to trust you. It took everything for me to stay where I was." His arms tightened around her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you were scared. I'm sorry you're still scared. I'm sorry you had to go through that again."

Kyoko sniffed and tried burying her face deeper. She couldn't keep warm.

"If it was up to me," Ren went on to say, "You wouldn't have had to go through this at all."

That made her look up. He looked angry, but for once, she realized it wasn't directed at her.

"Sempai… Ren, what are you talking about?" Feeling bold, she reached out and touched his cheek gently. He started, and she jerked her hand back. His eyes were burning.

"If I'd been in Karuizawa that time… You wouldn't have had that encounter with Reino in the first place. He wouldn't have been able to scare you like that, or give you any trouble."

"That's not up to you." She shook her head, and placed her hand on his face again. He leaned into her touch. The embers in his eyes had cooled a bit, but they were no less intense. "Ren, I would have faced this eventually. That doesn't make it better, or make me less scared, but it's not something you could prevent."

"I know. But it eats me, the idea that you're hurt." Without realizing, they had moved to copy each other's stance – her free hand rested on his shoulder, while he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. His thumb caressed her skin briefly, the touch as light as a whisper. "The thought of what he could have done with you…"

She had no idea who Ren meant, but the look in his eyes, the raw anger and fear… to think that somebody might experience such emotion, and over her, it was overwhelming. Deep down, she could hear the alarms blaring and her last lock falling away, as she watched the last layers of his mask peel off and reveal the red, red heart underneath.

Slowly, she let her hand drop and rest on his chest, to – what? Ward him off? Pull him closer? She had no idea.

Just when Ren thought he couldn't bear it any longer, the phone rang, making them start. It was the call from director Konoe.

"Yes?" Ren asked. "Yes. I see. Yes, that is so. I see. Thank you. Yes, I will come in tomorrow."

Kyoko watched him hang up. "Well?"

"The police have taken Murasame away for questioning. Director Konoe wants me to come in so that we can finish the filming in earnest. If we work overtime, we can have the movie wrapped up on schedule."

She swallowed. "That's good. That's… great. Well…" She hesitated. "I guess we should go to bed, then. Um, though maybe it'll be best if we tried sleeping apart tonight. Just to… get used to it, I mean."

"Kyoko…"

"Do you think I'll be able to go to LME tomorrow? I would probably need to see Sawara-san about some things and of course, I promised Moko-san I'll keep her up to date."

"Of course. But Kyoko?"

"Yes?"

He swallowed. This had the potential to blow up in his face. "We need to talk… later."

"Yes. Of course. Later."

"Tomorrow night?"

"Alright." Kyoko took a deep breath, then stepped back towards the bathroom. "I… need to brush my teeth."

Ren watched her go, then sat down. His knees had gone weak.

His phone rang again, and he glanced at the screen briefly. It was a text from the President, reminding him to call his parents. Checking his clock to make sure they'd be up, Ren hit the number. His father picked up almost immediately.

"Kuon," he cried, "Are you alright? You're not calling from the police station, are you?"

"No. You can relax. It's alright – the matter's settled."

"Settled? As in… you're okay?"

"I think so."

From the other side of the Pacific Ocean, Kuu let out a tremendous sigh of relief. "Praise be! I thought I would tell Julie if you said things were bad, but now… I'm so glad. Does that mean you're still coming back?"

"Yes. As soon as the shooting's over," Ren said.

"I don't know what I would have done otherwise," Kuu said. "You should have heard your mother. She's been over the moon because you're coming home. I can barely get her to rest. She's even…"

"What?"

"Well… we talked to some specialists in Austen. They've offered us an option to try surgery."

"And?" Ren's heart clenched. "What did you say?"

"Your mother said yes. She said that the prognosis, if the surgery goes well, is better than if she leaves things as is."

"Do you think it's safe?"

"What do we have left to lose?" Kuu replied, frustration evident in his voice. For the first time, Ren wondered what kind of stress his father must have been going through, all these years, and now especially.

It was paramount that he came home. He couldn't let his parents go through all of this, not alone. For a moment he worried about Kyoko – just now, he'd felt something was on the cusp of happening, but he couldn't be there for it. It hurt, like a splinter through the heart, but he reminded himself that, for once, there were people who mattered more.

"I'll be there," he said. "I promise."


	12. Chapter 12

Kanae reacted to the news of her friend's fortune as well as she might have. That is to say, she reacted with as little outward emotion as possible.

"So, now you're living on the other side," she said. "Try not to forget where you started from, okay?"

"Moko-san!" Kyoko cried. "I'm not going anywhere! I won't let this get into my head, I swear it."

"That's what they all say, but a few days later, they won't even know you."

"I will! I'll sign it in blood, I swear!"

Kanae rolled her eyes. "Kidding, idiot. Really, what a weird thing to make a big fuss of."

They were sitting in a karaoke booth, and, just like the first time, Kyoko was spilling her guts out to her. It was oddly mundane – given how their recent assignments had driven them apart, Kanae thought it was nice that some things never changed. Like her friend's talent of making a big deal of small things.

Kyoko, however, saw it differently. "But Moko-san, you were so embarrassed by the state of your house when I was over. I thought you hated rich people."

"That's a weird connection to make. I don't hate rich people – I expect to become rich myself, when I'm Japan's next top actress," Kanae said, rolling her eyes. "But in all seriousness, it's fine. You're the humblest person I know, and unlike some people, I'm sure that you will not abuse that privilege."

"Okay."

"And if you do abuse it, I will never speak to you again."

"I PROMISE I WON'T ABUSE IT!"

"Good," Kanae said, smiling. "Now, what else are you worried about?"

Kyoko let out a big sigh. If she had to be completely and totally honest, confessing about the money was the easiest. So she decided to be as roundabout as possible.

"Well, I have this… acquaintance. We… well, we're actually pretty good friends, but I'm not entirely sure about that. Lately, we've been talking a lot and…"

"Hold on. Let's back this up a bit, and for goodness' sake, stop being so vague. We're talking about Tsuruga Ren here, right?"

"Moko-san!"

"Well? Are we?"

"Yes," she said, in a tone of voice that suggested she was confessing a shameful secret. "Anyway, we… we were working on a project together these last weeks, but I can't tell you anything in particular, it's absolutely secret. We've been talking a lot, though, and he's been… he's been so good to me, Moko-san. When I first learned about… my mother… and everything, he was just so supportive and understanding and…"

"Okay, you're starting to sound like a fangirl."

"I'm sorry!"

"No, wait…" Kanae leaned in. "Are you telling me that you, little miss "Love is for the weak", you, who are the sole reason why President Takarada created the "Love me!" division, are actually having a crush on somebody?"

Kyoko looked down, ashamed.

"I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about! Idiot! Are you realizing that if the President hears about this, the division will go through the roof? You'd be a living, breathing proof his system works."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Probably not to those people forced into the jumpsuits."

"There's more. Moko-san, do you remember when I told you about the PW I shot with Fuwa Sho? And how Tsuruga-san was angry afterwards? You said he might have been jealous?"

"Yeah?"

"Um… you know, I think you may be right."

"Well, duh!"

"Moko-san! You're supposed to be supportive!"

"I am supportive! If I wasn't, I'd be mocking you senseless with your own words. You were so sure the man hated you, it would be comedy gold not to wrangle you a bit. However-" she added, when Kyoko went into full pout mode "—I am your friend, so I'll just leave it at that and ask why is it that you're so worried? If he likes you, and you like him, the rest is easy."

Kyoko mumbled something under her nose.

"What's that?"

"I said, it's not so easy." She tried explaining, without giving too much away, what Ren had shared about his family, and then told her the story how she overheard him talking about this schoolgirl he liked. "I'm worried, Moko-san," she said at the end. "What if he's so distraught about what's happening with his family, he's using me as a stand-in for this girl he likes?"

"You can't honestly believe that. Do you really think he's the type?"

"I don't know what type he is!" Kyoko threw her hands in the air. "He says one thing, then does another. Tells me to be on my guard, then acts like I'm supposed to go to him for every little thing. He's so… so… confusing!"

"Confusing, unless he was in love with you and jealous of anyone else."

"Then why doesn't he come out and just say it! It's so…"

"Stupid?"

"Yes!"

"Well—" Kanae set her glass down "—were it any other situation, I would have told you to just wait it out and see what happens. But the way you're telling it, it seems like you're on a limited time, and he's acting like he might do something."

Kyoko nodded.

"I don't have much relationship experience," Kanae said. "So you need to take this all with a grain of salt. But my best advice is, you need to think about all this very carefully. Not just about Tsuruga Ren, but also about Fuwa Sho. You need to examine your last relationship seriously, find out why exactly you were so badly burned, and decide what your limits are. So you think Tsuruga-san is annoying because some of the things he does don't add up with what he says – maybe that's a deal breaker for you. He needs to know that."

Kanae took a sip of water, watching her friend. The fact that Kyoko hadn't exploded yet was a pretty good sign, all things considered. Knowing she had her full attention, she went on.

"I also think that you need to honestly think about your expectations of this relationship. Are you and Tsuruga a one-time thing? Or are you hoping for something long-term? If you're not ready for a grown-up relationship, and all the things that go with it, perhaps you should tell him that."

"And, by grown-up, you mean…"

"Sex," Kanae deadpanned. "Although, if you're not able to even say the word or discuss it seriously, you're probably not ready for it."

"Sorry. It's just… I had a pretty conservative upbringing." Her face darkened. "Though, nowadays, I question everything, my upbringing especially."

Kanae raised an eyebrow.

"Well," she said, "it's good that you are. Asking questions gets you answers, and generally, the more, the better. But honestly, if you're not comfortable with physical intimacy, it's best to be upfront about it."

Kyoko nodded again, trying to keep the blush from the cheeks. In all honesty, this was a conversation she didn't want having, ever, but Kanae was always so right. Besides… it wasn't like she had anyone else to talk to about it.

The last few days, she'd been skirting around the issue of her mother, taking care not to dwell too much on how she had left her, or the letter she'd left. She referred to her inheritance as "the money", not "her mother's provision" or "her mother's inheritance". Somehow, the idea that this woman, who had made her life a living hell, actually cared for her, was a bit too much to consider.

"I guess you're right. There's one more thing I need to ask you, though," she said. Kanae nodded. "My mother left me some letters to open on my birthdays. In… in the one I was supposed to get first, she asks me not to look for my father."

"So?"

"Um… I don't know. I guess, lately, I've been really confused about her. I thought she was one thing, and then she was another. I don't understand her, and I just… I want to. I think that maybe talking with someone who knew her might help."

Her friend shrugged. "That's up to you."

"But what would you do?"

Kanae didn't reply immediately. Part of her wanted to tell Kyoko to figure things out herself – after all, she was her own person, and she was going to end up doing what she wanted anyway. But then Kanae thought back to the time they auditioned for their first commercial – how angry she'd been when Kenounji Erika had breezed in, throwing her money and her family name around. How she'd hated herself, for not being able to fight back, for not being able to win.

Whenever she thought back to that time, she couldn't imagine ever going back to the audition without Kyoko. Without her friend validating her choices… who knows what would have happened?

So she tried to be honest.

"Personally, I wouldn't have bothered. I wouldn't need anything from him – I've got friends to support me, I've got money, and I've got a roof over my head. Unless you're planning to travel abroad before you turn eighteen, there's nothing he could do that you can't get from anyone else. And you said you never knew the guy – if it were me, I wouldn't give him the time of the day. He didn't care for me, so why should I care for him?"

Kyoko nodded, but there was something in her face that made Kanae pause. She wasn't entirely convinced.

"However—" she went on "—that's just my opinion. If finding out about your mother is really that important to you, then everything else is pretty much moot."

"I guess you're right," Kyoko said, looking away. "I'm anxious, and I'm scared, but I want to talk to him nonetheless."

"That, unfortunately, I can't do anything about," Kanae said. "If life was all clear cut and easy, though, we would be out of a job."

"Yeah, probably."

"One last advice? Go see if you can take up any new jobs. I'm not saying that to jinx you, but… if something goes wrong, it's good to have something to keep you busy."

* * *

Yashiro stared at the display window, then shook his head. "Too flashy."

"But wouldn't it be just according to her tastes?" Ren asked. "I mean, shouldn't I take that into consideration?"

"Normally, yes, but when it comes to jewelry, I usually think that less is more. Why not something more delicate, like a heart pendant?"

Ren tore his eyes away from the larger pieces on display and threw his manager a quizzical look. "Wouldn't that be a little on the nose?"

Yashiro made an "I-give-up" gesture and perused the windows again. His watch showed that they were ten minutes behind schedule, but Ren had worked so effectively all afternoon that they could afford to get side-tracked.

His client had had a busy day. It was nice to see him take a break, even if it was to do something silly.

"You think I'm being ridiculous, aren't you?" Ren asked, as if sensing his manager's thought.

"Who, me? No. Though there's still time before Kyoko-chan's birthday – why are you picking her gift out right now?"

Ren shifted uncomfortably. "I'm not picking up a birthday gift. Just…a token. From one friend to another."

"Ren? Are you actually telling me you're giving Kyoko a present for no other reason than just because?"

"Yes."

Yashiro wasn't buying it. Not that selfless gift-giving was a bad thing, but his friend was pretty careful with his actions around Kyoko-chan. Hell, he'd made up a who convoluted story just so that he could get her to accept his birthday gift, and Yashiro still didn't know if the girl bought it entirely. To his mind, it was obvious that the story was hoakey, but if Kyoko thought so too, then there was the question of how she felt for Ren.

"What about this one?" Ren asked, pointing to a small gold pendant in the shape of two masks, Tragedy and Comedy. It was the most generically theatrical thing he could have picked, but…

"That one's good. Doesn't make a bold statement, and if she has to, she can hide it under her shirt."

Ren smiled with relief. "That's what I thought."

While he was settling things with the clerk, Yashiro checked the schedule one last time. They were due to drop by LME so that Ren could settle some things with the President, then he was going to put on his Cain Heel disguise and go back to the hotel because he had some shooting as Black Jack first thing in the morning. Presumably, Kyoko-chan would be there too.

Yashiro frowned. Ren hadn't told him what had happened after Kyoko had returned from her leave of absence – one would assume they had made up as they always did, but the younger man had been very jittery all day. Was it possible to avoid someone in a one-bedroom apartment? Apparently so.

"We talked," Ren said, when out of the store. "But… we didn't really get to say everything we wanted to say to each other."

Yashiro raised an eyebrow, silently prompting him for details.

Ren gave him the abridged version of their latest conversation. By the time he was done, Yashiro's eyes were as big as plates.

"Then the director called."

Yashiro groaned. "They always call at the worst times! So, wait, are you telling me you and Kyoko-chan are about to confess your feelings to each other?"

"I don't know."

"But you got her a gift. Don't tell me… oh, Ren, please don't tell me you're going to try and soften her up with gifts."

"What are you talking about? This is to thank her for all her hard work for this project. It has nothing to do with what we're about to say to each other."

"You can't possibly think that." Yashiro said, shaking his head. "Ren, you and Kyoko-chan are about to have a very stressful conversation. Making her gifts, no matter what the occasion, is not appropriate in this situation. If you do, she'll feel pressured and uncomfortable – do you want that to happen?"

The younger man hesitated. In truth, it had passed his mind, but he'd dismissed it, because damn it, he wanted to give the woman he loved a gift and after all she's done for him, it was the least he could do. But he had to admit, Yashiro was right. Tonight was not about gratitude.

"Alright," he said. "Then… will you hold onto this for me, for a little while."

Yashiro nodded. "Of course I will."

* * *

Sawara-san smiled when he saw her come in. "Ah, Mogami, I was just about to call for you. Did you get briefed by Takarada-saicho?"

"Yes," she said. "My current assignment is going well. He's very pleased with the results." She decided not to mention the scolding she'd gotten for going out of her way. Oh well. She said she would take responsibility, and she did. "I was just wondering, have you got any new offers for me? Auditions, etc?"

"Actually, I got quite a few." He pulled out a bunch of files and handed them over to her. "Some people saw the pilot episode for Box-R and contacted me about you. Bully roles again, but people seem to think you have a strong presence."

Kyoko nodded as she flipped through the stack. She could do variations on a theme – and it was just what Moko had suggested. A part of her fluttered in anticipation – she hoped that every new role would get her this excited.

"Thank you. I will look through those and let you know what I decide." She bowed.

"You're welcome. Oh, right, I got this call for a movie role too, but I don't think you'll be very interested in it."

She perked up. "Why?"

"Well, the producer hasn't seen any of your dramas – apparently, he heard about you from some director you never worked with. Does the name Konoe ring a bell?"

She froze. How much did Sawara-san know? How much could she tell?

"I know him," she said. "I helped out an actor on his set as part of a Love Me! assignment."

"Ah, that explains it." Sawara-san frowned. "This director convinced the producer of a thriller that you'd be perfect for some antihero role. The man isn't entirely convinced, but he wanted to invite you to the audition. It'll take place on Friday."

Kyoko reached out and took the paper from him. Part of her felt nervous – an antihero role? And all because director Konoe saw her play Setsuka? It wasn't that different from the bully role, but this was something new.

Could she do it? Her first audition sprang to mind, making her cringe. She'd been so awkward then, so inexperienced. Now, at least, she had two big roles in her portfolio, not to mention the work she'd done shooting commercials and PV's. She had the confidence, she had the skills. So why not do it?

"It sounds interesting," she said. "Could you contact the producer and ask him if I need to do a line-reading?"

"I can. We can get you the script in a few minutes, if you can just wait for a little while."

She nodded gratefully, then sat down. As he made the call, she started reading one of the character descriptions he'd given her. High school drama, this time with the bully and the main character fighting over the same guy. She winced at some of the dialogue for the pilot episode – not that it was much, but she could tell the writers had put virtually no effort in the writing of the character. She flipped back to the list of established actors and noticed that Kawagoe Michika was listed as the star.

_That explains it, _Kyoko thought, wryly, but then instead of discarding the script, she decided to keep it for closer consideration. True, given what Moko-san and Amamiya-san had said about Michika's acting range, playing against her was bound to be a nightmare, but maybe not necessarily. Perhaps she could discuss it with Ren tonight… unless they killed each other first.

"Mogami-san?" Sawara-san waved some newly printed pages at her. "Your lines."

"Ah, thank you," she said, getting to her feet. "I'll read through them, and I'll do my best at the audition. Can you message me the time and place, please?"

"Already taken care of. The producer seemed rather ambivalent about your coming, though, so you should be prepared for a cold reception."

"I can deal with that," Kyoko said, remembering how Ren had acted when he first met her as Cain Heel. It really was amazing, how some things stopped bothering her after a while. She was so preoccupied she didn't realize her supervisor was still speaking. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I said, at least you won't be completely alone," Sawara-san said. "Kijima-san is going to be auditioning for one of the roles too, so you'll have someone you know there."

Kyoko froze, and then made a face.

_Yup, _she thought, _we'll end up killing each other tonight._


	13. Chapter 13

Ren's stomach was in knots when he and Kyoko met up in LME. They were both in character already, so jumping immediately into the conversation was out of the question. However, he noticed her carrying a bag full of paperwork – a welcome distraction, if worst came to worst.

She seemed calm – of course, it could be a feature of her character, but somehow, the way she was so blasé about everything only made him more jittery. What if she thought about what they were going to talk about, and decided it was better if they didn't have the conversation at all? Or worse, what if she had planned to let him down easy? What if she had a whole speech memorized and was now waiting for him to give her an opening?

That idea made him bargain with himself. At first, he wasn't going to bring it up until they were in the hotel. Then he decided to put it off until after their cooking lesson (ma po tofu this time). Then, of course, you couldn't bring these things up during dinner, even if the tension made it impossible for him to enjoy the food, and then there were dishes to wash.

As he dried the last of the pots (no accidents this time), his eyes fell on her bag, and he decided to take one last attempt at delaying the impossible.

"Did you get a lot of requests?" he asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yes. Sawara-san got a few calls. It's mostly bully roles again, though there's one invitation for an audition."

"An audition? For what?" Ren set the towel aside and turned to give her his full attention.

Kyoko leaned back in her chair. "An antihero role in a movie. The producer doesn't know who I am, apparently, but Director Konoe recommended me."

"Well, you see how you don't know who you might impress," Ren said. "Are you going?"

"I asked for the lines, so I figured I might as well try. If there's time, would you like to hear me do a reading?" she asked.

"Of course. Any time." He smiled, feeling anxious and proud at the same time. She was progressing in leaps and bounds, and was showing such confidence… it was amazing. "It's a shame I won't be able to audition for that one too. Shooting your first movie would be quite the experience."

"I haven't even got the role," she said, but she was smiling. Then her eyes darkened. "I don't know. Sawara-san said that the producer was ambivalent about my being there – I'll have to make a strong impression, even if it's just to show I haven't wasted their time. Then he told me that Kijima-san will be auditioning too, like that was supposed to be some kind of relief."

At the mention of Kijima's name, Ren's good mood immediately disappeared. Taking care to make his face as expressionless as ever, he said:

"Is that so? I see."

Kyoko noticed the shift in his demeanor immediately. Uncrossing her legs and standing up, she walked around the table so that they didn't have anything between them. To her younger self, such a dramatic mood swing would have been incomprehensible. Incomprehensible, at least, unless he was jealous.

Picking her words carefully, she said:

"I don't have to take the role, even if I get it. But the audition would be a good opportunity for me, to create an interpretation of a character in a short amount of time."

"I know," Ren said. He coughed and tried to work his way back to the state of mind he had before she said the dreaded actor's name. "I didn't say you shouldn't."

"You don't like Kijima-san," she said, hitting the target right in the bull's eye. "You think that because of what he did for me on the Dark Moon party… because I let him buy me a dress and a make-over, he has some kind of claim on me. Or that I owe him something."

"No, of course not."

"Ren," she said, "I know you do. You're not the only one."

In response to his look of confusion, she sighed and explained:

"Last week, before I went to Kyoto, Fuwa Sho accosted me by my school to give me grief for whoring myself out."

Ren, who, until that point, had been staring quietly, suddenly got up and started pacing the room.

"That… that…" He couldn't find a good enough word in Japanese, so he sprouted off in English. It wasn't until he was finished cursing a blue streak that he realize Kyoko was still there. She didn't look pissed, though. In fact, she looked like she was barely controlling her laughter. "He had no right to say these things to you," Ren said, at length.

"But you do?"

"I never…"

"You implied it. Or, at least, you implied that I was too clueless to go to anyone but you." When he failed to react, she came up to him and stood so that she was in his face.

Earlier in the day, she'd taken Kanae's advice and thought back. Not just about her relationship to Shotarou, but also to the Fuwas in general. And, to her surprise, she realized there was an essential thing she wanted to make clear, and she needed Ren's full attention.

His eyes were on her. So she decided to make it count.

"I've been lied to all my life, Ren-sempai," she said. "I don't like it. I don't appreciate hypocrisy either, but I'm not perfect and neither is anyone else. I realize you must have had your reasons for telling me the things you did, at the time. However—" she paused, to make sure he was listening "—now, things are different. I don't expect full disclosure, but please, please don't treat me like I'm four years old."

He swallowed.

"I understand. Forgive me – I acted incredibly badly."

Kyoko swallowed, and nodded. Even with her body weak with relief, she managed to sound calm and collected. "Thank you."

Ren sat down on his bed, slowly. Not knowing what was best, she made herself comfortable beside him. After a while, he said:

"I don't want you to give up your audition, or the role, even if Kijima gets in as well. I'd never ask something like that of you."

"I'm glad to hear it," she said. "But we'll see. I might not like the role. Or the producers might not like me. There're plenty of things I can do – in fact, there's a drama with Kawagoe Michika that caught my eye as well."

Ren winced. "Really? Kawagoe Michika?"

"I think it would be interesting."

He dropped it. There were more important things to consider anyway. He thought back to the Dark Moon party, and his abysmal reaction. He never thought he'd get a chance to explain it to her, but now that he did, he found himself unable to pick the right words.

"I don't blame you for what happened," he said. "There's… really no blame to be had. I reacted horribly. I took my frustrations out on you, and I'm sorry. I brought this on myself, anyway."

Kyoko tried deciphering that mind-bender, before venturing a guess:

"You mean that you were angry at yourself back then?"

"Yes. It's exactly what I meant. I suppose I should have warned you that Kijima shows an interest in you, but I didn't know how to do it without coming off as a… a…"

"Patronizing jerk?"

"Yes."

She leaned back on her hands and stared at the ceiling, like it might hold the perfect answer to such a statement. "I guess I should have paid more attention to him, too," she said, finally. "But, to be honest, I was really scared, at the time."

"About what?" He caught the angry note in his voice, and tried to explain. "I mean, why didn't you come to me? I would have protected you from whatever…"

"It was you I was scared of," she said, and turned to look at him. He recoiled like she'd just tried to bite him. "At the time… it was right after the car accident. It was a horrible experience. And then, the night we had dinner at your apartment… I felt something that I promised myself I'd never feel again. And it scared me."

Ren was starting to get over his shock, and suddenly the pieces of the puzzle clicked together.

"So, when Kijima offered to dress you up…"

"I went along to make you angry," she confessed. "I thought, if you hated me, things would get better. Only that plan backfired royally on me."

Ren stared at her with a mixture of awe and horror. The enormity of what he was hearing started to hit him, and suddenly, the room seemed way too small.

"So that's how it is," he said. "We were both mishandling the situation."

She raised her eyes and met his gaze head on. "And what is the situation, exactly?"

There. The gauntlet was tossed. Now it was up to him whether he was going to take it or not. He wondered if he had a chance to backtrack, still. Surely, he could. He could make something up. Some convoluted story that would allow them to maintain a state of obliviousness.

But he wouldn't. Not anymore.

"I'm in love with you," he said. "And… you started to have feelings for me as well."

It was Kyoko's turn to look away. However, it wasn't until she'd given him a look that said he'd been one hundred percent correct.

"You say it so frankly," she said. "You really aren't a Japanese person."

Ren smiled. He found it very easy to do, now that he'd gotten everything off his shoulders. "I suppose I'm not. Is it wrong?"

"No. It's not." She sighed. "I… I mean it, when I told you I was scared. I still am. Right now, it's hard to tell what's right and what's wrong. Things I've been believing all my life turn out to be a hoax, and I… I don't know where I stand anymore."

"So what changed?" he asked. "What made you want to have this conversation with me?"

"I don't know—" she looked up "—maybe it was because you were willing to learn to cook, even when you're such a perfectionist."

The line, so deadpan, yet so much like her, caught him off guard. He burst out laughing. Kyoko, though, instead of being offended, just smiled as well. Once he'd calmed down, she went on.

"It's the truth. You're always there for me. You're always ready to offer me comfort, even when I don't deserve it. You're a great person, Ren, and… I can't be ashamed of my feelings. Scary as they are. Scary as _you _are, sometimes."

That sobered him up quite nicely. "You're right," he said. "I am scary. Perhaps it would be best, for both of us, that we didn't go any further than that."

"If we do that, wouldn't it be the Kijima thing all over again?" she asked. Then, before he could answer, she got up and stood in front of him. She made sure he was looking at her, before saying, "I'm scared. This… situation, as you call it, it can end up hurting us both, very badly. But I can't pretend this conversation never happened."

And, with startling clarity, he realized what she meant. If they decided to leave things at that, they would have to go their separate ways. No more meetings, or telephone calls, or going to each other for support, not for many months at least.

The idea made him sick to his stomach. And, from the looks of it, it was just as painful to her.

"Then… do you want us to try?" he asked, in disbelief. "If you don't, it's alright. Perhaps it would even be the smart thing to do…"

"Would you hurt me? Intentionally, I mean? Would you let me suffer if you knew you could prevent it?"

"Never. Never."

She took a deep breath. "Alright."

"Alright? That's all?"

"No." She reached back, removed her wig and the pins holding her hair back. Then, after some consideration, she shrugged her jacket off as well. Once she did that, she stepped closer. And closer.

Ren's hands reached out, tentatively, and grasped her hips to steady her, as she moved between his knees. His sitting position allowed her to stand over him, and to take control. Gently, he fingers brushed his bangs away, clearing his face.

He closed his eyes and let her explore. He felt it, and that was the most important thing – the coolness of her skin as she traced the lines of his nose and brows and mouth; the sweetness of her scent when she leaned in a bit closer; the way her hair tickled his cheeks, warning him of her next move. Without thinking, he raised his lips and met hers, soft and warm.

There was a moment when neither of them didn't move – a general "What have I done?" moment, if you will – before Ren reached towards the back of her head and pulled her in closer. Suddenly, both came to life, two clumsy, awkward people sharing a not-so-clumsy or awkward kiss. Hands intertwined and grasped, they broke away so that they could get more comfortable, and then went back at it again.

If the phone rang again, they didn't hear it.

Then, the fervor cooled, and Ren became aware of other things – the way her body molded against him, how his hand seemed to fit perfectly into the curve of her hip, how amazing it was when she laced her fingers behind his neck and used it as leverage. And he slowed down, to enjoy those and a thousand other things better, to relish that first kiss and make it as memorable to her as it was to him.

He realized he'd pulled her down and that she was almost completely lying underneath him, so he raised himself on his elbows, to take a moment, and to take his weight off her. She was looking up at him, cheeks red, hair in disarray, and eyes gleaming like pebbles in a river. It was, by far, the most bewitching thing he'd seen in his life.

"I should warn you," she said. "I'm not ready for sex."

And then he was laughing again, and he actually had to roll off her, lest he crush her accidentally. He felt her roll on her side and glaring at him, but he couldn't help himself – the laughter just kept coming and coming, and he was unable to stop it.

When it ran out, he raised himself and kissed her. It was long and sweet, but in comparison to the first try, it was a simple peck.

"You amaze me," he said, finally.

"Why? For pointing out an obvious fact?" She nudged him. "Even though I like your laugh, I was serious, you know. I'm not ready for sex."

"So, you're saying I should schedule the roses and the candle seduction for later then?" When he saw the look on her face, he shook his head. "I understand. I'm sorry for laughing. You're right – we should wait, at least until you're eighteen."

"And probably keep this private," she added. "From the public, I mean."

"Yes. Absolutely."

They hesitated. Then she kissed him again, and there was some more fumbling and laugher and awkwardness, until they found a way to get comfortable.

It was ridiculous. It was sublime.

* * *

Much, much later, Ren had dozed off. For both their sakes, they'd decided to try and sleep separately, for real this time, it seemed to be working out well. Kyoko watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, and when she convinced herself he was sleeping peacefully, she slipped out of bed and took the script for the Friday audition.

The lines were pretty standard, but that wasn't a big deal – she knew that a certain percent of scripts got recycled every now and again. She checked her character background – Midori, a young woman whose lover was killed by a police raid, angry with the system and carrying out vengeance in her own terms – and then looked back at the dialogue. It was supposed to be with a confrontation with the male hero, somewhere in the third act.

_Midori: Stay away. Don't come any closer, or I'll shoot._

_Irukawa: You don't mean that. I know you don't. You say you hate chaos, but you secretly hate it – that's why you didn't kill that woman, even though you could._

_Midori: *laughter* You don't know the first thing about me. Now step away._

_Irukawa: *raises hands* Why are you doing this? Why are you forcing yourself to do something you detest? _

_Midori and Irukawa glare at each other. She still keeps the gun trained on her victim, but there are signs she's listening._

_Irukawa: Midori, listen to me – you don't have to do this. There are people I know… people who owe me favors, who can help you. If you let me…_

_Midori: What? You'll save me? Like the white knight in the fairy tale? Not gonna happen._

_Irukawa: You're not a fool. You know I'm offering you a way out. _

_She hesitates for a long time, then cocks the gun._

_Midori: My path has been chosen._

Kyoko muttered the lines under her nose, frowning. She wished she had time to read the whole script, get a better feel of the characters and their interactions. From the looks of this dialogue, it was very much like the writers were having some dreams about Midori and Irukawa, which were probably going to be abandoned for fanfic fuel. But she didn't like the idea of a romantic entanglement, especially if Kijima got the part.

She tried putting herself in Midori's shoes. She'd lost her lover. The system she'd been taught to trust had failed them both. Kyoko imagined herself as an optimistic twenty-something, full of dreams and aspirations, then had the floor fall out from under her feet.

The sensations – pain, disorientation, overwhelming rage – they were easy to find. She wondered how long Midori had been drifting in the numb state, where revenge was the only thing on her mind. Longer than her, she was willing to bet.

She didn't begrudge the screen writers for the cheesy dialogue. It was the kind of nasty situation you wanted to amend… the situation that just needed the right man to have the fairy tale roles restored.

But Midori wasn't just stumbling around the world, blindly looking for support – she knew how she could get her revenge, and she wasn't afraid to steal, lie, or kill, to do it. It was like she was resigned – resigned to her fate, resigned to forever being alone and unloved, with her only wish being to achieve that revenge and then rest in peace.

Suddenly, she knew how she wanted to do the reading.

Ren woke up at some point, stirred by the promise of a nightmare. She was still up, muttering lines under her nose and practicing her act in the mirror. He wondered if he ought to offer his help, but then decided she was doing a good job at it herself. Smiling, he drifted back to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

The morning came too quickly.

They went about their morning rituals as they always had been – brushing their teeth, fixing up their costumes, making breakfast. From the sidelines, there was nothing different about their routine.

But a careful observer would notice the small things – how they would catch each other's eye and smile shyly, almost reassuringly. How either would suddenly get distracted and dreamy, and the other would shake their head. How they always found small ways to touch each other – hands brushing as they handed each other things, his hip briefly bumping hers as he squeezed past her in the kitchen, her fingers sweeping the bangs from his eyes.

And then there was that time he pushed her up against the counter and kissed her.

"The President and Jelly-san will be here soon," she said when they broke apart.

"They won't come up," Ren said and ducked his head in for another kiss.

Funny thing about love… it brought the strongest sense of relief you could have imagined. Kyoko wondered when she had seen Ren so relaxed, and she draw a blank. No, wait… he'd laughed pretty hard after that one time he had pinned her to the floor in his flat and threatened to kiss her.

The thought made her pause. He felt that and pulled back.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern creeping into his voice.

"Yes. Just remembered something." A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"When you had problem with the Katsuki role... you know, that time I came over to ad lib with you..."

"Yes." He smiled at the memory, then realized what she'd been thinking about. "Oh..."

"So, was that bit about asking me if I wanted you to teach me how to kiss part of the scene, or was it for real."

Ren deliberated his options. Finally, he shrugged. "Guilty as charged."

"That was mean," she said, punching his shoulder playfully. "I really felt bad about that!"

"I'm sorry. Will it help you to say that it was the first time in a while that I lost myself in a role? You were the more professional of us in that scene."

Kyoko bristled. "Again. Mean."

The kettle boiled then, and she turned around to get their cups out. He helped her lay the table, and the two sat down for breakfast. All the while, he was talking – it was a good thing the President wasn't there, because he would have scolded them for breaking character.

"It wasn't the only time I wanted to kiss you."

"Really?" Kyoko raised an eyebrow. Her mind quickly provided the Valentine's Day episode, and she pushed it down quickly. "Like when?"

Ren appeared to be deep in thought. "Well," he said, "I can't say the first time was during that scene, but it was the first time I realized what this feeling was."

"Right, you have no experience with love," she said, before realizing her slip. Quickly, she covered it up. "Tsuruga Ren, Japan's most wanted after actor, and you couldn't recognize the urge to kiss someone. Even I knew that."

She waited anxiously for him to pick up what she'd just done, but either love was blinding him, or she was a better actress than she thought, because he fell for it, hook, line and sinker.

"You'd be surprised." He sipped his tea. "When I was younger, I was not lacking for female company, but it was never love. It was more about... well..."

"Oh. That."

"Yes, that." Ren shrugged. "I was a stupid kid. Stupider than most." A shadow passed over his eyes, and he drifted off in the memory. She reached out and took his hand in hers, before he closed up completely.

"So, you were never in love?" she prompted, hoping to bring him back from whatever brink he was tethering over. It worked. He smiled, took her hand and kissed it.

"Not like this. Before that time in my apartment, I'd felt odd around you. When you first told me why you acted, I felt very proud, and happy. Having you come over was great, though it made me kind of angry that Yashiro was putting you up to it. And then... afterwards... well..." He looked suddenly sheepish. "There were so many times, but I was afraid of what you might do, if I started something."

Kyoko blushed and looked down. The atmosphere suddenly felt heavy, so she tried lighting it up.

"So basically, every time you give me that angelic smile, or the Emperor of the Night look, you want to kiss me."

Ren stared at her blankly.

"Emperor of the Night look?" he asked, puzzled. "I think I know the smile you're talking about, but when do I have an Emperor of the Night look?"

"Well, you know, when you're like..." she trailed off, waiting for him to fill the void.

"No, I don't. What's it like?"

Damn that man, he was deliberately teasing her. Swallowing the horrible embarrassment, Kyoko forced herself to look at him in the eye.

"You had that look on during the Katsuki scene. Like... you were all..." She tried mimicking the expression, smiling a secret smile and half-closing her eyes and dropping her voice down several octaves, like she was about to tell a huge secret and she was enjoying every second of it. "Seductive, and stuff."

Ren was staring at her as if she'd just punched him. Wondering what kind of an ugly grimace she'd ended up making, Kyoko dropped the act.

"It's not accurate, of course," she said, busying herself with her chopsticks. "I'm just saying, you have this really mature expression, and it always makes me feel like a deer in the headlights. I have absolutely no idea how to react."

"On the contrary," he said, and his voice made her look up. "I actually think you have a little of the Emperor of the Night quality yourself."

"That," she said. "That, right there. You're doing it now."

His smile stretched wider. Suddenly, her stomach clenched in anticipation. She felt like something was about to happen, and that this something might not be all bad. Swallowing, she tried to ignore him, but he drew her eyes like a flame might draw a moth. Her mouth dried.

"Yes," he said, almost to himself. "I can see exactly what you mean."

Slowly, she set her chopsticks down. He did too. Their chairs scraped as they rose – she, quickly, he, at a more leisurely pace. A little bit of the old Kyoko made her retreat when he advanced, but it was a pretty useless exercise when she had to take three steps for each one of his. So she forced her feet to stay in place and just craned her neck to meet his eyes.

Ren came up to her, careful not to crowd her. His hands slid around her waist and he bent down to brush his lips against hers. "You know me better than you give yourself credit for," he said.

"Ah, is that so?" she asked, while her brain short-circuited. Ren smirked, then, in one quick motion, lifted her until she was sitting on the counter, and he was between her legs. Her hands immediately buried themselves in his hair. Their eyes met.

"Yes, that's exactly so."

And then the damn phone rang. Again.

Kyoko was all in for not answering, but Ren grabbed the handle and answered before she could occupy him otherwise. "Yes?" he asked in English. "Coming."

"The President?"

"Yes. He and Ten-san are wondering where we are." He helped her off the counter, but couldn't help it and kissed her one more time. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine," she said, shy all of a sudden. She cleared her throat. "Are we telling the President?"

Ren hesitated. He didn't want to dump all of his baggage on her in one day, and the President was bound to push him to do so if he knew. On the other hand, Yashiro knew that he planned to talk to Kyoko last night, and his manager wasn't above anything to get the information he needed.

He squeezed her hand. "We will, but not now. You need to get out of the Setsu costume and go to your audition, and I need to go do the filming. We'll tell him tonight."

* * *

Kyoko made it to the audition with some ten minutes to spare. Ren had offered to drive her, but that had been impossible if he was in costume. Part of her wondered if he didn't also want to mark his territory around Kijima, but of course, that wasn't possible if they were going to lay low for a while.

"Ah, Kyoko-chan!" Speak of the devil...

"Hello, Kijima-san," she said, as politely as possible. In spite of that, her heart beat fast – now that she had a secret to keep, it felt like she had to put up a performance for every single second of her day.

"Sawara-san mentioned you'll be auditioning for Midori's role," Kijima said, cutting to the chase. "That's great. I'll be trying out for Irukawa – we can probably do the line reading together."

Given the spark in his eyes, she was sure which angle he wanted to play it from. Swallowing her panic, Kyoko forced another polite smile. The countless times she'd been subjected to Ren's gentleman facade were paying off.

"In that case, let's go the best job we can."

"Absolutely," he swept his hand out towards the corridor where the other actors were waiting with their agents. He chattered the whole way through the wait, about this new restaurant and how much he enjoyed the Thai food they served, and how truly divine their coconut rice was, and, oh, yes, you should definitely check it out, Kyoko-chan.

Whether it was the talk she'd had with Ren last night, or the fact that he eyes were now opened up, but Kyoko was starting to find the conversation grating. Kijima now looked a little bit too polished, too good in his pretty boy image. It reminded her of another idiot.

"I'll keep it in mind," she said, trying to balance out the politeness and the disinterest in her voice. It was annoying – if only she could set some firm boundaries, then everything would be okay, but how was she supposed to do that? Kijima had never really given her an obvious sign of his intentions, and without that, she just looked like a hysterical female throwing a hissy fit. On the other hand, they were colleagues, and making enemies of people in the industry was not a good idea.

Yes. It was very annoying.

When the pairings were announced, she tried not to wince when their names were called out. Kijima turned to her with an excited look in his eyes, and she just imagined him pushing the romantic angle on her.

She clenched her fist. No. No, he wouldn't.

Because she would make him act along with her.

The grudges cackled gleefully.

* * *

President Takarada stared at his protégé like the latter had just announced his intention to give up acting so that he could pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a flying monkey on the Wicked Broadway Show.

Not that being a flying monkey wasn't hard, but Ren didn't have the talents for the role.

"So you're what... together?" Takarada asked. "And she didn't fly into a panic as soon as you told her of your feelings?"

Ren shrugged. "We've both done a lot of growing up. I think... I think we have a shot."

The president leaned back and lit a cigar. "Of course you have a shot," he said, after blowing out a plume of smoke. "Two young people like you... if you didn't make it, what's left for the rest of us? But tell me... did you tell her everything? Was she alright with it?"

"Only a little bit. About my mother being sick and about the fact that I need to finish this role before I can face my parents again."

"Will you be able to? Is Kuon finally quiet?"

Ren hesitated. Part of him wanted to say no, that it was impossible to lay his past to rest, that it would always be too dangerous. But another, the one born last night, was optimistic.

Takarada scrutinized him as he deliberated. "She really does love you, doesn't she?"

"I don't know," Ren said. "She... she wants us to try. That's something, right?"

"That's everything, coming from her. I know that when she's around, you'll keep a lid on Kuon, but..."

"But?"

"You haven't told her everything, have you?"

Ren didn't answer. He tried swallowing down the sudden anxiety that threatened to overcome him. Just thinking about telling her everything – about his past, his being Corn, and Rick – it made him sick. More so when he remembered her telling him how sick she was of lies. God, what would she do if she discovered that he lied to her – had been lying all this time? She would never forgive that.

"You will have to, you know," Takarada said. "You can't possibly keep everything from her."

"I know," Ren said. "Just... please, don't tell her everything just yet. Let me do this at my own good time."

Takarada sighed and set his cigar aside as he considered the younger man's request. Experience (and a little bit of world-weariness), made him want to refuse. But Ren was doing so well... surely, he could be trusted.

Right?

"Fine," he said, at length. "But if you haven't told her everything before you need to get on that plane to America, I won't answer for what I'll do."

Ren rolled his eyes, thinking that if it came down to the president to intervene, the world must really be coming down to an end.

* * *

**A/N Hey all! It's been a while, huh? Sorry I didn't update more, there was a lot of stuff going on with the school year starting and stuff. I can't promise fast updates, but I'll do my very best to be more regular.**

**Anyway, next week, there'll be a series of deconstruction posts of the "Skip Beat!" manga on .com, so if you're interested, do drop by and check them out. **

**Thank you all for the reviews and the support, you're all lovely! *mwah***


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